"Is your chief brainless?" Nyell asked for the nth time with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "If he's not, is his brain pea-sized?"
Myrven let out a wry laugh. The young man had been cursing out Allen for an hour straight, yet he didn't have it in him to defend his chief. He could only nod, and Layla did the same by his side.
Allen wasn't brainless, but it was hard to tell what was going through his head. Madmen didn't think like the common folk, and Allen was one of the craziest persons Myrven knew. Of course, his crazy habits were powered by his cleverness and capabilities, although it didn't mean his way of doing things made people happy. Most of the time, it was bad for his aides' hearts, and today was not an exception.
"Do you think he is dead?" Isa asked.
"He isn't."
"How can you be so sure?!"
"Layla and I still have the seal of vows engraved onto our hands. It'd have disappeared if Allen were dead, as he serves as the medium between us and the goddess of vows. Without him, the oath is void."
"It's the first time I've heard about this," Corriel commented. "I thought the bond was unbreakable."
"Shamans don't scream it on rooftops. Some people might turn against them to get rid of their oath instead of abiding by it."
Nyell lowered his eyes to Myrven's hand. The snake surrounding the fern was indeed there. So the bastard was alright. He hadn't had his soul sucked out just yet.
"Can't you find him like you did with my sister yesterday?" Nyell heard himself ask.
"No," Myrven shook his head. "I need his permission to transform. My nose is not sensitive enough in human form. The jungle is overflowing with different smells, and your ex-shaman planted scent pouches in several locations to hide people's trails. I'm sorry."
"Tsk."
"Don't worry too much. Allen seems to have left on his own volition, so he must have a plan."
"Who says I'm worried? I'm just afraid he'll get himself killed before I can kill him myself."
"…"
Fair enough.
Myrven had shared the same thought many times before learning to let go. Allen wasn't someone people could reason with, even less put on a leash. Maybe because of his past, this kid had to do everything alone. He didn't want to involve others; when he did, he either trusted them with his life or was planning their demise.
.
.
Nyell was still cursing out Allen when Myrven, Layla and Isa left for the jungle to gather clues. His sister had been adamant about going, regardless of her twisted ankle. It was almost healed, and werewolves were sturdy. Neither her father nor her brother could discourage her, so she walked out of the hut with Layla and Myrven in tow.
Staying inside and lying still wouldn't solve anything, Isa's words. They might as well try to get something done.
"I'm so pissed off!" Nyell growled once he was left alone with his father. "What's the deal with this goddamn moron?!"
Although Myrven and Layla didn't bring it up, Allen was most likely not the daemon's target. The one who fell under its spell had to be him. Moreover, victims of the daemon didn't leave behind messages like Allen did. Nyell had no idea how he did it, but Allen managed to trick the thing into letting him go and taking him instead.
So, how could Nyell not be angry?
"His deal?" Corriel raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that a destined mate means the world to a werewolf, even more so to a shaman, right?"
"Sorry to break it to you, but that jackass means nothing to me, and I am his destined mate. Whatever you say, I won't change my mind. And no matter how you look at it, it's weird to put yourself in harm's way for someone you've met only a few days ago."
"Uh-huh."
"Why am I even trying to reason with you?" Nyell grimaced. "You're no better than that fool."
Corriel didn't deny it, or it'd be more accurate to say he couldn't deny it. He'd have given up the world and laid down his life for Hulien. But although he'd have done everything for his mate, he couldn't do anything when she fell ill. He watched her slowly wither away every day until she finally drew her last.
When she passed away, it felt like half of his soul had died with her. If it hadn't been for his children and his promise to take care of them, he'd have joined her in the afterlife. A life without his mate was pretty much meaningless.
"You may not like Allen, but I guarantee your feelings will change over time. Destined mates are made for each other."
"Are you the one who taught Isa that bullcrap? No wonder she's so hung up on destined mate stuff. She might be happy with Layla, but I'm not with Allen. I don't care what it's like for others. Allen is everything I don't want my mate to be, except for his gender."
Corriel smiled.
"What's with the smile?"
"Have you not realized yet that you've been glancing at the door every second, waiting for a certain someone to appear?"
"…"
"You should stop making excuses and admit that you're worried."
"I'm not!"
Nyell sprung to his feet and left his father's hut in a huff. He had enough!
He walked toward his quarter but stopped midway and peered at the jungle. He squinted his eyes as if doing so would allow him to see through the dense vegetation.
Allen was somewhere in there.