[THIRD-PARTY POV]
As they sat there, thinking of all the different triggers of the beast of the midlands, the hound was in his own world, thinking of someone he had met years ago, someone he had gotten to see again, and even though the circumstances were wild, Ulrike was glad to have seen him.
Ulrike knew the beast was an old friend, but that was a secret he would take to his grave. He wouldn't divulge it no matter what happened and it didn't matter how long he had to keep it, he would, without a second thought and without question.
"Who is the beast, Eddison? I went out there, only to be beaten up by a fucking lycan. YOUR lycan and you didn't think to give us a heads up as to what happened? Oh wait, did you know that there hasn't been a sighting of Gideon since I smelt his blood on the beast?" Ulrike fumed.
He didn't like the way Eddison was avoiding things. He didn't like the way the man was silent and lost in his own world without saying anything.
They had seen what the beast could do. They had witnessed the horrors of the beast of the midlands and the lycan king was still going to be silent about all this? Sure Ulrike had survived the beats, but that could be attributed to the fact that they had known each other long ago.
His survival was never because of the kids, or because he was a hound that healed fast. His survival was because of a bond they shared, the bond that made them inseparable yet on opposite sides of the world they shared.
"It can't be," King Eddy said disbelievingly, looking like he was stuck in a loop that he wasn't able to snap out of. His reactions pissed a lot of people in this room and for the first time since he met the leaders of the midlands, Delbert wanted to punch the living daylights out of the lycan King of Udrad.
Gideon was out there and hurt, and all this King had to say was it fucking can't be?
Eddison needed to thank the goddess that he was a king, because the young warrior was about to rip his head off.
Protocols be damned, if Delbert didn't see Gideon in the next hour, then he would risk his life just to get the king to talk. He was protective of the warrior and even he didn't understand what his link was to the man.
They had barely met, or maybe Gideon was his mate, right? Then again, if they were mates, Delbert would have known. Delbert would have felt the pull. But how as to say that the pull he was currently experiencing was that of the mate bond?
Grant watched his junior warrior fist and unfist his hands like he wanted to land a punch on the king. It was quite hilarious, but anyone could see that Delbert had taken a liking to the witch, Gideon.
Well, this was the true definition of love that knew no bounds.
"He died, I made sure of that. The only lycan who disappeared without a trace from Udrad was the son of thieves," King Eddy said, right as Gdeon walked in with a tired Criselda and Zelina.
"Son of thieves? Wow, who even calls themselves that," Gideon said before getting a smack on his head and shutting up instantly. Gideon looked like he had gone through literal hell just to be here and maybe he truly had.
He had survived the beast of the midlands, and even though the scratches on him were harsh, but he would heal.
"No, but seriously, who are you guys talking about?" Gideon asked, maintaining eye contact with Delbert who looked so relieved to see the witch back. There was something about Delbert that even Gideon had taken a liking to.
They had barely known each other for ten hours and yet he somehow wanted to be beside the young warrior wolf.
"Well, the beast is a lycan and Eddison here, didn't think to tell us that he had a rogue lycan walking around and harming the midlands in the name of children. He seems to think that there is more, but isn't really open to talk about it," King Cassius said disappointed.
He wanted to make Eddison talk, but here and now, they were kings and leaders of their factions and any irrational action could trigger a war worse than what the beast was currently doing in the midlands. That was something they didn't want to think of.
"You knew him? What the fuck Eddison?" Zelina said angrily, while Gideon on the other hand seemed to have forgotten that he was hurt. He made careful strides towards the lycan king, just like what he had done earlier in the day only this time, he wasn't going to pretend there was a lizard on the king.
Zelina watched the injured witch limp towards Eddison, confirming what she already knew. The feud between Gideon and the lycan King went beyond the pain that Gideon had endured in the hands of the damned beast.
Eddison was seated in the conference room, they all were, but Gideon didn't seem to care that much. So when he reached the king, he made sure to look around the room, almost as if he wanted to confirm something.
King Eddy was around fifty years old and had so much power that even the wolves were sometimes tempted to bow to him. But the witch was something else, or maybe Gideon had just had enough of the beast and the fact that Eddison hadn't said a word about the beast he had released out to the world.
"I believe we are all equals here, yeah?" Gideon asked with an angry smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at Criselda.
The high priestess just nodded at Gideon, curious as to what the kid would try again. Maybe he would act all unhinged again, but was it really acting out, when he hated the king with all he had and didn't have?
He had managed to make the lycan king weary, barely hours ago and now, he was at it again. Maybe they needed to lock up the two in a cage and let them sort out their issues.
"What are you thinking of doing?" Delbert asked, concern filling his voice.
Gideon just let out a laugh at the warrior's statement.
Who even told him he could talk? But then since he had asked so nicely, Gideon would give Delbert an even nicer response.
"Something a low-class warrior like you can never even think of doing," Gideon said.