Elian's POV
*****
"Well? Is everyone suddenly muted?" Lucian barked, his eyes going from Elian to Beta Axel as he entered the room.
Elian gulped, stepping away from Beta Axel as he parted his lips to speak.
However...
"This blood is from an assassin who tried to kill Elian in his sleep." Axel blurted, flicking off the last drops still sticking to his fingers like it was soap. "If it weren't for my timely intervention..."
He glanced at Elian, his eyes glinting with an unknown light.
The latter's face heated up as he looked away, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
[I guess now would be a bad time to show you your updated stats...]
Elian's eyes twitched as he spoke mentally. 'Yes, system. Now is definitely a bad time.'
"Let me get something straight..." Lucian sniggered, raising his hands as he walked even closer, tilting his head. "You mean to tell me you killed an assassin who tried to kill Elian... Without keeping him alive to at least interrogate him?"
"He had Elian hanging from the window. I had to act fast." Axel shrugged, unbothered as he placed his arms comfortably at his sides.
But Lucian didn't seem convinced. "That's incompetence at its finest. I didn't expect it from you, Beta."
Oh... Crap.
"Incompetence?" Axel sniggered, taking a step away from Elian and locking his gaze on Lucian. "Pardon, Alpha Prince, but at least I showed up. Where were you when our mate was dangling from a window, struggling for his life?"
Lucian's eyes darkened, the silver light behind them seemingly intensifying. "Don't test me, Beta."
Elian stood at the side, watching these two men go at each other's throats without saying a word. He tried raising his hand to draw their attention to him but that was fruitless.
The room seemed to be closing in on them.
And last he checked, this was supposed to be his fucking room.
"Guys..." Elian tried speaking up but that proved futile as Axel continued speaking.
"No, I'm not testing you, Alpha Prince. Just pointing out the mental gymnastics you always jump through. So if the shoe fits..."
Lucian seemed like he was about to snap... Until Elian decided he couldn't take it anymore.
"Guys, enough!"
Lucian and Axel swerved their heads to him, making his throat hitch at their intense gazes.
He was like a cornered rabbit before them.
[Do you know one thing rabbits are really good at though?]
The system's suggestive tone already gave Elian an idea of where he was going.
'Are you really a robotic system or just the ghost of a rude twink sent to torment me?' Elian asked mentally, but the system ignored him.
Rude!
"I almost got killed and I'm still fucking disoriented. Can you two not do this here?" Elian asked, raising an eyebrow at both Axel and Lucian.
If someone had told him a week ago that he would be talking to the Beta and Alpha Princes like this, he would've jumped into a well to avoid being implicated.
The two men stared at him for a few seconds until finally... Lucian broke the silence with a harrumph.
"Fine. I only came here after seeing the commotion with the guards downstairs anyway." He grunted, glancing at the Beta one last time. "Remember we have practice in one hour... Beta."
Axel smiled sarcastically at the Alpha Prince as he walked out of the room and shut the door with a bang.
Elian jolted a bit before brushing his right hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.
"Hey..." Axel whispered just then, making Elian open his eyes and realise that he was staring at him with concern in his eyes. "I'm close if you need me, okay? Like your own bodyguard."
Elian's lips curled into a smile at those words, the residual intense feelings slowly subsiding into something soft. But then Axel placed his right hand on Elian's shoulder, causing the latter's heart to skip a beat.
His eyes went from Axel's hand and trailed to his face, just in time to meet his beautiful golden eyes peering into his.
"I... I..." Elian stuttered, not sure of what to say.
But then Axel's smile widened as he placed a finger in front of his lips. "Shush... It's fine. You don't need to say anything now. But I meant what I said."
Slowly, the Beta withdrew his hand from Elian's shoulder, causing the latter to clench his jaw like someone on the edge of addiction.
Why did he feel like he wanted more than just whispers and lingering touches from the Beta? Why did he feel like he was going to end up insane without his touch?
[To be fair... You've crushed on him all this time before the mate bond surfaced. And at the end of the day, he's not even the one who stole your first kiss.]
Elian balled his hands into fists.
That's right... Lucian did.
That ba—
"Freshen up and take as much time as you need to recuperate," Axel remarked, giving Elian one final departing wink before he turned around and walked away.
Elian couldn't even say anything as he watched the Beta close the door behind him.
[Ding! Now that we've got those two out of the way... It's time to run over some things so we know where we're at. Starting with your current stats.]
Great...
[Here are the host's stats:]
[Category: Wolfless Omega (Suppressed Lycan King bloodline)
Strength: 4
Durability: 3
Speed: 5
Regeneration: 2
Senses: 5
Mana Core level: N/A
Total Evaluation: Host would still lose to an average werewolf toddler with a stubbed toe... But now you might have a chance to run. Isn't that great?]
Elian rolled his eyes as the translucent blue screen flashed past his eyes. He folded his arms in front of his chest, pouting his lips as he went into thought.
"So I got one point added to each stat. Also, you said I'd get access to viewing more stats like: Jealousy meter and Seduction Meter once I survive Estella and—"
[Ooop... I almost forgot. Congratulations! You completed mission number one... Surviving Estella's attempt to kill you.]
[Honestly, the fact that you avoided being poisoned yesterday was enough to make you complete the mission. But this assassination attempt? Solid pass.]
Wait... That means...
"You mean to tell me that assassin was sent by—"
Suddenly, the door burst open and a familiar face with heavy makeup and eyes that seemed like they could cut through metal stepped into the room with clicking heels.
Elian held his breath.
Estella.
"You..." She muttered, closing the door behind her before walking toward him. "Oh, poor thing. I heard about what happened. Are you hurt?"
Elian blinked, staring at her with confusion.
The smile on her face was soft… almost like a worried sister and not a woman who had plotted his demise.
[Yeah… something's off.]
"I… I'm fine, ma'am…" Elian mumbled, plastering a smile on his face and taking a single step back when Estella didn't seem to be stopping in her advancement.
Before Elian knew what was happening, she raised her right hand and landed a hard slap across his jaw, causing him to stumble backwards.
His eyes stung and his head spun so hard that he thought it would fall off his shoulder. Rage boiled through him as Estella sneered.
"Next time you try to seduce both my brother and the Alpha Prince, try not to do it while playing the victim." Estella's voice was cold now, dripping venom.