Holly was flabbergasted. This wasn't a dream, was it? Was the darkness starting to make her hallucinate?
Felix put his hands on his hips in front of Holly. "Are you going to just sit there?"
Holly shook her head slowly. Her face was still wet with tears. Felix finally crouched down.
"I'm real. I'm here," Felix said as he knew if Holly still had doubts about what she saw.
Holly's tears fall from the immense relief. Felix embraced her, warming Holly's icy body.
Butterflies danced on Holly's chest. She was happy. Very happy. She was desperate that Felix would not save her, but he became her saviour one more time.
"Sorry I'm late," Felix said in a very soft voice. After hours of silence, Felix's voice sounded like a beautiful song.
Holly squeezed Felix's shirt and hugged him tightly as if her life depended on him.
"You're safe now. I won't let them hurt you."
Holly was still sobbing, but her chest felt lighter. Felix was there; everything must be fine.
Felix helped Holly to her feet. "We can't stay here for long. They will surely come."
Holly nodded. Her voice was still too hoarse to speak. She had opened her mouth, but no sound came out because she had been crying for too long.
Felix embraced Holly's body tightly. He would carry Holly if he didn't have to be aware of his surroundings. Enemies can come anytime, and Felix must be ready to attack. Coming here alone was very risky, but he had no other choice. He must save his precious one.
***
Moments before.
"Are you crazy?" Cass followed Felix into Holly's room with hasty steps.
They just had a meeting with the officials, and Felix baulked at the plan to save Holly.
"I really don't understand." Gilbert seemed to be getting emotional. But unlike Cass, he was still as calm as ever.
"Why did you let her be kidnapped? You know what they can do to her, don't you?"
Felix was still calm. He walked over to the table beside Holly's bed. Felix ignored the protests of his two friends. His hand reached for a fruit basket, took an apple and kissed it.
Cass and Gilbert frowned in surprise. Has Felix lost his mind because of Holly? Now he kisses an apple.
"Is he drunk?" Gilbert whispered to Cass.
"Seems like he's just crazy."
Felix was still kissing the apple. His nose was itching with a disgusting smell. The smell of a human stuck to it. But this smell was as gross as trash, unlike humans with the same scent on average.
Felix smiled slightly. The fruit that Holly left behind will help Felix to find her. Unlike other human smells that mixed out there, Felix could track down this unique and disgusting smell more easily.
"You kiss an apple and smile at it. Are you that in love with the apple? So now this apple is more important than your Queen?"
Felix rolled his eyes at Cass' question. They still didn't understand what really happened.
"Why do you think they kidnapped Holly?" Felix asked, still in his calm voice.
"Because they hate her and want to kill her?"
"Zero points for you."
"Then what? Because they like Holly?"
Felix scowled. "Of course not!"
"Didn't the humans live in fear of us? For me, the beast? Why are they suddenly attacking us now?"
Cass shrugged. "Maybe they're stupid. They should know you can destroy their kingdom if you want."
Cass suddenly fell silent. "Wait... Is that...." She started to notice it.
Felix snapped his fingers. "Correct! That's what they really want. A war."
Silent. Cass and Gilbert tried to understand Felix's sentence but failed.
"Why would they want a war? Wouldn't that cost them as long as you were around?"
Felix lay down on the sofa. "They don't work alone. Wolves are working with them. Do you think it makes sense for a Justin to just be defeated by humans? I've never picked a weakling to take my place."
Cass and Gilbert began to think and remember the events hundreds of years ago. Justin was known to be very strong, but they were defeated by humans.
"This wolf must be cooperating with the human King."
"You mean this wolf controls the King?" guessed Gilbert.
"Wow, you are brilliant, my brother."
They fell silent. "So what these wolves want is war. They think by kidnapping Holly, you will get angry and attack humans. Then war is inevitable."
"Isn't that what our kind wants?"
Cass's knees felt weak. She was not aware of this plan. Just now, she almost told her knights to bring back Holly at any cost. So she almost fell for their agenda?
"Were they your father's men?" Gilbert asked as if Felix's father wasn't his father either.
"I don't know. It might be because their goals are the same."
During the reign of the late King, humans were turned into trash. They were like dogs that were not taken care of at all. Even though the werewolves suffered under his rule, the human condition was even worse.
Felix himself did not understand what made his father hate humans so much. But before he died, the old King planned to destroy all humans in the world.
Whoever this person was, they must have been planning for a long time. They managed to enter the human government and made their King a puppet while waiting for Felix to wake up. The proof was when Felix woke up, war was the first request of his people.
"Let's go!" Felix stood up excitedly. His right hand went into his pocket to ensure the damn white rose was still there.
"Where?"
"To pick up My Queen and take back my kingdom."
Felix didn't like war. He was too smart to fight. Felix will show those stupid creatures how he got the throne.
***
Felix helped Holly walk slowly. His nose and eyes worked in the dark. There was a trace of Justin's smell in here. Justin must have been in prison here before.
They were in a dungeon, just below the palace. It was too easy for Felix to sneak in here. He only had to break the necks of the guards.
"You know the way out?" asked Holly after a moment. Finally, her voice was back.
"Yes. That's the way." Felix pointed in the opposite direction.
Holly turned and was confused. They turned away from the exit and headed in another direction.
"Why are we here?"
"We are not going out. I will take you home."
Holly was getting more and more confused. "Go home to where?"
"To where you belong. The throne."
Felix stopped at a steel door. Its appearance looked heavy, but Felix could open it with just one kick.
The guards outside looked shocked, they prepared to attack but a moment later fell to the floor shaking. They didn't even have time to fight back.
"Ah, my suppressant effect must have worn off."
[So this is the power of the Alpha King that is often talked about?] Holly was astonished. It turned out to be true. Only with his presence, humans could bend their knees to him.
Felix brought Holly into the palace. This place was foreign to Holly, but the luxurious interior made Holly realize they had entered the palace.
Felix paused for a moment, his nose twitching to smell something. There was the smell of the wolf that used to be with Arthur. The stench of the rotten human also spread throughout the palace. He knew something.
"You! Damn beast!"
Felix and Holly turned their heads. King Francis was behind them.