บท 24: Strange Forces

"So what you are saying is that you ran away just because you were afraid I would bite you?"

Daemon was looking at them as if they were crazy. He doesn't remember doing something like that, that was nonsense.

"I told you he wouldn't remember it!" Sasha shouted angrily pointing at his leader but looking at Dahak. "You bite Dahak really hard! THREE times! We had to knock you out"

Dahak coughs awkwardly when Sasha points out that dark old memory, he assumes his leader didn't say anything the next day because it wasn't an important issue, after all, both of them were alphas but the shocked expression on the albino was evident.

"How many?…" Daemon asked, covering himself completely embarrassed.

"How many… what?" Sasha, as dense as he was, asked again, making their leader even more embarrassed.

"How many times has that happened?"

Daemon growls a little bit and Dahak hits Sasha with his elbow.

"Don't worry your Grace the doctor says it was due to Monaed's sexual desire being at its limit and fortunately you did only two times" Dahak tried to relieve his leader but Sasha ruined all his efforts.

"Yeah, but the second time…ugh"

Sasha coughed thanks to the strong punch he received from his friend.

"What? The second time, what?"

Dahak was nervous because he didn't know how was going to react to his past actions.

"The second time you had your rut…you bit someone else…"

Daemon was surprised to hear all of that, he usually doesn't forget anything about his rut but when Monaed took control over his body he always had some problems remembering things… Now was a big example, he had a big period of time erased from his mind so it didn't surprise him anymore.

"Who was it? Was it an omega?"

"JAJAJAJAJAJ NO! It was someone funnier" Sasha started laughing like crazy and even Dahak laughed when he remembered that scene.

"Who was it?"

Both of them stopped when they heard Daemon's deep and sore voice.

"Well…"

"WHO?" Daemon asked with a mad expression.

"… Prince Blausen…"

"THE CARROT?" Daemon shouted aloud with an embarrassed and disgusting expression.

"Yes, it happened when he last visited you because Rasha sent you some supplies and you competed to see who could drink more" answered Sasha trying not to laugh again.

Daemon felt sick but it was really strange he didn't recall any of that… How was it possible that he didn't remember biting that carrot?

• • • • ❁ • • • •

Inside the dining room

"Did you see that?"

"Those were the eyes of the devil"

"He will definitely be our ruin"

"We have to kill him"

Killian who followed Orsen to the meeting was waiting outside for his master's order and some minutes after he received what he had to do. When he came back to the hall he felt disgusted and mad with all those people whispering and bad-mouthing Terrence without an end.

They never tried to trust Terrence or even get to know him but they were deciding his fate only for some malicious words.

He wanted to yell at them or smack them in pieces but instead of that he came back to the piano and started playing a beautiful melody.

Terrence taught him that…. Fight violence with beauty.

When they heard the music again, they got confused, they all wanted to fight someone but then soon enough they started to forget why they were so angry.

Luke realized the situation and quickly made a group of people from his pack start eating something.

Soon, everyone followed their example.

…

Bastian left his wife in the meeting room and came back to the hall. He made a special drink with mixed liquor, beer, and a special ingredient. He was ready to make everyone drunk that night and with Killian and Luke's help, they succeeded pretty fast.

"Now… what are we gonna do?" asked Luke, seeing all the people sleeping peacefully after drinking like crazy.

"JAJAJAJA don't worry I already got that covered"

Before Bastian left the hall with his wife he asked his right hand to send the most loyal and trustworthy alphas of his and the Blumme pack out of the hall before his arrival.

Bastian was happy to see Daemon protecting someone like that, even though he wasn't his biological child he always considered him as one. He always wanted to make him happy or even make him smile a little but Daemon never smiled so brightly as he was doing now.

So when that unexpected situation happens he remembers something that would help Terrence.

A little time before

"How much do you know about the curse of your son, Caius?"

The alpha was sitting like a statue and all the leaders looked at him with curiosity.

"Someone came to the state and said she felt a strange energy growing in my home…" Caius started telling him that painful memory of the past. "After what Terrence did… he fell ill with a high fever but the doctors didn't know what had happened. That strange woman told me that my child got cursed for murdering"

"What is the name of the curse?" Rasha asked him curious because she had never heard of a course like that.

"That's all.."

"What?" Evan asked, confused.

"That's all that I know, at that time I was so mad that I didn't ask more… Terrence was discharged from the house that afternoon and I didn't see him until he came back the day of the tournament"

Bastian hugged his wife just at the right time because she got up furious. Somehow she managed to kick Caius's face because her legs were long but at least he prevented her from ripping him apart.

Everyone was obviously disappointed but Caius confessed that now his past actions were strange even to him. He was never a person to make a judgment without evidence but at that time he did it without giving it much thought.

"Ah… so we are clueless about what to do…"

"And with that stupid prophecy made with malice, it will be difficult to change all those narrow-minded wolves," Rasha said, really irritated.

"I think I can help…"

All looked at Bastian with curiosity, and even Rasha was looking at him like "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to ask Orsen about it anyway…" The alpha stopped talking and took out a small bag with blue crystals inside it. "A strange alpha gave it to me when we were leaving. He was tall, had long blonde hair, and was wearing an outfit pretty similar to yours, Orsen. He said that I would know when to use it to protect that pitiful child... At first, I didn't pay attention to it because when I tried to ask him who he was, the man disappeared"

Rasha was looking at his naive and fearless husband astonished but, of course, she hit his back with force.

"ACK RASHA!" Bastian cried in pain and looked at his wife with teary eyes.

"Don't give that look, what are you? A child? Why are you receiving something from a stranger?"

She was scolding him in front of everyone but Bastian only robbed his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I assure you it was the first time… it was strange, I didn't even remember where I met that person, of course; at that time I was afraid it was something dangerous so I wanted to throw it somewhere but for some reason, I never had the opportunity"

Orsen approached both of them and took out the crystal, when he was in contact with them they started shining as well as the small diamond on his necklace, the one that the mysterious alpha gave him when he was a child.

"They are memory erasers…"

Orsen couldn't be more surprised if what Bastian was saying was true, they met the same strange wolf… the first guardian of Reinheit who was supposed to be sealed somewhere in the kingdom for his dreadful crimes.

…

Back in the hall

Bastian was looking at all the guests sleeping, he was surprised that the strange man gave him something so precious for a child who was supposed to "destroy" the world.

All the alphas who left came back to help him move everyone to their respective rooms.

"So…what did you make them drink like crazy?"Luke asked him a little confused, even when he followed them in order to break the awkward atmosphere he didn't know what Bastian was planning.

"They are going to forget the voice…"

Luke opened his eyes with surprise but he soon looked at them and sight.

"Well, that's for the better… they were incredibly noisy"

"JAJAJAJA You're just as how your husband described you" Bastian laughed a little while Luke glared at him curious.

"How did he describe me?"

"As a person who hates noisy things"

Luke blushed and got a little embarrassed, he was going to hit his alpha for that.

"Well, everyone listed, we need to keep what happened here a secret… until we find out about his highness' curse"

All accepted and then started to carry the guests to their rooms.

• • • • ❁ • • • •

Terrence wakes up surrounded by a peppermint scent, he was feeling better but he got frustrated…

He practiced a lot to make that night a perfect and beautiful dinner, he studied hard and never complained but all his efforts were in vain.

All hated him only because he was still breathing…

The pain in his heart was now worse than his headache.

How many times did he have to suffer a disaster like that? When was he gonna be able to be seen by his real self?

He was drowning himself in the dark until that voice filled the room.

"Terry… are you awake?"

«Dae….»

Terrence unconsciously called him by his nickname in his mind but he already knew that Daemon was gonna hear it.

The alpha entered quickly to the room with a tray full of food for him. He left it next to the bedroom before he hugged him.

Terrence cried like a baby in those strong arms that confronted him.

Daemon was always there at his worst moments and even when he did something horrible to him he was still there giving him his full support. He was one of the people who saw him only as a person…

Terrence lost count of how many times Daemon had saved him and comforted him. Now he was pretty sure… he really wanted to be his companion.

Daemon could see him for who he was, he understood him in ways that even Terrence didn't, and he wanted him by his side. He didn't know why he was so focused on the first person who helped him that he overlooked that Daemon was also there to protect him from the beginning.

They didn't say anything, they didn't need it.

Daemon released his pheromones to calm him and distract him. He started kissing him. Only brief kisses because Daemon was still worried about losing control and also was ashamed of his dark past that he just found out about.

When Terrence was calmer Daemon made him eat some soup, it was light and good for his body, because he didn't have the opportunity to taste any of the delicious food everyone made.

"Thank you…"

"Don't mention it… you know, I'm always here for you" he whispered in his ear with a soft tone.

After eating everything Daemon was ready to let go of Terrence that night but that meant walking him to his room, however, Terrence was still hugging him.

"Can I sleep over…?"

That question made Daemon blush, he had heard it correctly, right?

Nervously he hugged him even more and kissed him on his forehead with love and care, making that moment the first one they accepted each other consciously.

…

Somewhere far away a beautiful medallion cracked.