In the grand castle's opulent throne room, the King sat upon his imposing throne, an aura of anger emanating from him. A woman knelt before him, trembling with fear, her eyes filled with trepidation.
"Well, what did you find?" The King's voice was cold and menacing, cutting through the air like a dagger.
"W-we couldn't find anything," the woman stammered.
"Useless! You're all damn useless!" The King's anger erupted, his voice thunderous.
"I-i'm sorry, your Eminence," the woman replied, her voice quivering.
The King inquired further, "What about the hunters I hired?"
"I haven't heard from them in a while," the woman admitted.
"They're most likely dead by now if they haven't reported back," the King retorted with a hint of frustration.
"Keep looking. The next time you come back here without results, I'll rip out your intestines and feed them to you. Do you understand?" The King's menace was palpable.
"Y-yes, my Lord," the woman said with a trembling voice.
"Leave my presence," the King ordered, and the woman quickly rose and departed.
The King's thoughts were consumed by his relentless pursuit. "How the hell am I supposed to find her when I have no idea what she looks like? She outsmarted me.
She knew what I was after, which is why she gave her up before I even got there. I thought I'd be able to find her using a locator spell, but that proved to be useless because I don't know her name or what she looks like.
I have no concrete idea or clue as to where she is or where she could be. I made a mistake by sending Vivian after John; I should've told her to bring him to me alive. After all, he was Liam's best friend. You were one step ahead of me, Isadora, but I will find her."
At the local mall, Kylie, Layla, and Elvira found themselves in an underwear store, shopping for essentials for Elvira. While Kylie paid for their purchases, Elvira and Layla finally had the chance to talk.
"Hey, can we talk?" Elvira approached Layla, who had been engrossed with her phone.
"Sure, what's up?" Layla asked.
"It's about the other day," Elvira began hesitantly. "I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. You were only trying to help, and I'm... well, I'm, uh..."
"You're sorry," Layla finished for her.
"Yeah, that," Elvira admitted.
"Is it really that hard to say?" Layla teased.
Elvira acknowledged, "Yes, it is. And also, I'm never doing that again."
Layla chuckled, "On to the next store."
Elvira chimed in, "Kill me now."
After a long two hours of shopping, they returned home. As they entered the house, they spotted Noah and Lucien chatting in the living room.
"Hey, guys," Layla greeted.
Noah inquired, "Who's all that stuff for?" pointing at the numerous shopping bags they held.
"They're for Elvira. She needed new clothes," Kylie explained.
Lucien, sensing that his card had been put to good use, groaned, "You guys maxed out my card, didn't you?"
"Uhm, nooooo," Kylie replied with an innocent smile, causing Lucien to facepalm himself.
Layla suggested, "Come on, let's head upstairs; my arms are killing me."
Noah offered to help, saying, "Here, I'll help you," earning a faint blush from Layla.
Kylie, on the other hand, turned to Elvira, "Hey, Elvira, you coming?"
Elvira replied, "You guys go ahead; I'll catch up with you in a bit," as they left the room, leaving her and Lucien alone.
Lucien decided to have a lighthearted moment. "Someone owes someone a thank you," he noted.
Elvira was unyielding, "The fact that I used your money to buy all that stuff doesn't mean you deserve my appreciation."
"Seriously?" Lucien asked.
"Yes, seriously. Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that you'll have your room back in a few hours," Elvira revealed.
"Alright. Oh, and before I forget, since you're a part of this pack, you'll be involved in the training and also the hunting," Lucien explained.
"Hunting? What for?" Elvira was taken aback, her shock evident.
"We hunt supernaturals for the King," Lucien finally revealed.
"Why? What for?" Elvira asked, her curiosity piqued. Lucien's silence weighed heavily in the air, and she didn't let it slide. "Your silence speaks volumes," she asserted.
Lucien countered, "Really? How so?"
Elvira's gaze remained unwavering. "You're silent because you don't have an answer for me. You don't know why you hunt innocent supernaturals."
"Maybe I'm silent because I don't want to disclose that information to a new pack member," Lucien reasoned.
Elvira pressed on, asking, "Any other thing I should know?"
Lucien hesitated but eventually replied, "Every Friday night, we patrol the area."
"Why? I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to infiltrate this place," Elvira remarked, voicing her skepticism.
Lucien enlightened her about the situation, saying, "Hunters are stupid enough to hide around the area. Those bastards aren't afraid of being mauled. It's like they're looking for something."
Elvira was resolute, "Alright, I'm in, but let's get one thing clear. The hunters are mine," her gaze turning cold, her voice now laced with a dangerous and emotionless tone.
"Mhmmm," Lucien acknowledged before Elvira left the room.
Heading upstairs, Elvira began exploring the various rooms, looking for one that suited her taste. Frustration was mounting as she checked room after room, but none felt right. She reached a black door, muttered, "If this one isn't the right one, I swear I'll kick Lucien's balls again," and entered. This room was exactly what she desired, with designs that pleased her.
She sighed in relief, saying, "Finally," as she sat on the bed. The room's design featured a splash of her favorite color, black. Eventually, she got up from the bed, heading to Lucien's room to transfer her belongings to her new one.
Upon entering Lucien's room, she noticed the shirt she wore to bed. Elvira picked it up and put it in one of the bags, saying, "It's comfy, so why the hell not?" She left the room, still carrying his scent on her.
As she made her way to her new room, she deposited the bags on the bed. Realizing she hadn't explored the closet yet, she decided to check it out. Something caught her eye, and when she entered the room, her jaw dropped.
"They have a walk-in closet. Just how rich are these people?" Elvira exclaimed in awe and disbelief.