{Ren POV}
[5 hours later.]
"Wait, so you didn't just catch some low-level drug dealer, but the boss of the entire syndicate?" I asked, blinking in surprise.
Nyx gave a casual nod and downed the last of her wine. "Yeah. He wasn't even that difficult to catch, honestly."
A waiter approached, already refilling her glass before she could say anything. "Would you care for more, milady?"
"Oh yes, please," Nyx replied, smiling faintly.
I leaned back, watching the two sisters. Artemis was slumped on my lap, dead asleep and absolutely wasted. Nyx was clearly tipsy herself now. Across from us, Sara and Selena were dancing in the center of the room, laughing and twirling to music that had long since stopped being polite and had settled comfortably into a rowdy mood. Sara's boyfriend was knocked out on a nearby couch, half-covered with someone's coat. Marasuki sat to the side, strangely composed. Unlike the others, she was as sober as I was.
That made me laugh under my breath.
"What's funny?" Marasuki asked, coming closer without tearing her eyes away from the two dancers.
"You're not drinking."
"Don't like it," she replied bluntly, not looking at me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?"
"What are you getting at?"
"You're still on guard," I said, lowering my voice. "In a place that is both secure and public?" It's instinct, sure, but…"
"Yeah. Instinct is still instinct."
"But you're not the alpha in this group," I said, turning to meet her eyes with a teasing grin.
Marasuki scoffed. "And what are you then?"
"A dragon. A wolf follows a dragon," I said, holding her gaze with mine until she finally rolled her eyes and looked away, muttering in annoyance.
"Just kidding," I added with a laugh. "But I think it's time to go."
"I agree," she said with a sigh. "The eyes on us are starting to get uncomfortable."
I gently took Nyx's glass from her hand, handing it off to a passing waiter, and shifted her head onto my shoulder. She was nearly out. Artemis was already snoring quietly against my other arm.
"You'll be fine with those two?" I asked, nodding toward the dancers.
"Yeah," Marasuki replied. "I'll handle them."
"Alright, then let's move."
With one sister cradled in each arm, I stood up. Gods, they were light. Too light.
"I should make them eat more," I muttered, adjusting their weight as I walked.
"Hmm… what's going on?" Artemis mumbled, barely conscious.
"Nothing," I whispered. "Keep sleeping."
We reached the front hall when a group of guys stepped into our path, one of them clearly the ringleader, with a slimy grin plastered across his face.
"Good evening, ladies," he said smoothly.
"Yeah, no. You can leave," Marasuki snapped, stepping forward to block their approach.
"Whoa, why so defensive, little wolf?" the person said, clearly enjoying himself.
My eyes narrowed as I studied him more closely.
'No… that scent, damn it. An incubus.'
Marasuki's body went rigid. "Charley, don't even think about it."
"Charley," I repeated in my mind. The name rang no bells, but the smug grin and casual arrogance were all too familiar.
I muttered, "Looks like you've made some enemies," while already shifting my balance in case things got messy.
Charley tilted his head. "Aw, come on now. I just got back from a long mission. Need a little stress relief."
"That's sick," Marasuki growled.
"Your kind," I said coldly, "are always disgusting."
The incubus's grin dropped. "What did you say, little half-breed?"
I took a step forward, both girls still in my arms. "Marasuki, are you good? Or should I drop these two and handle him?"
She shook her head, jaw tight. "I've got it. Don't worry about me."
She grabbed Sara's boyfriend and hoisted him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Man, why the rush?" Charley said, raising his hands mockingly. "We just got here."
"Charley," Artemis suddenly spoke, lifting her head just enough to glare. "Don't. Touch. Anyone."
He froze.
"Artemis?" he said, surprised. "Didn't know you were here."
"Then maybe walk away while you still can." She said this while dropping her head back onto my shoulder.
With a scoff and a dismissive flick of his hand, Charley turned and sauntered off with his group.
"Still got it," Artemis muttered, snuggling her face back into my neck.
"You've got a terrifying reputation. It suits you."
"Hmm."
"Sleep. We're almost home."
She let out a soft hum and went still again.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the castle gates.
"Uh… how are we getting up to the house?" Marasuki asked, looking up at the massive stairs.
"You'd have found out eventually," I said casually, and with a snap of my fingers, teleported us all into the living room.
"What the hell?" "Marasuki," she whispered, wide-eyed. "Half-breed?! That's bullshit!"
I grinned. "Well, I didn't expect that to work so cleanly, but here we are."
"Let's deal with the drunkards first."
I headed to my room, laying Artemis and Nyx side by side on the massive bed. Both of them shifted slightly as I tucked them in, but neither woke.
"Sleep well," I whispered, brushing a lock of hair out of Artemis's face.
Then I stepped out and followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen, where Marasuki was already waiting, arms crossed.
"Let's talk," she said the moment I entered.
"Sure, but make it quiet. And pour me a glass too, will you?"
She slid me a cup, and we both sat at the kitchen table.
"You're her," she said, tone flat.
"I was her," I corrected softly. "That life's… gone."
"I hate your family."
I sipped my coffee. "The self-centered ones?"
"Yes," she spat. "Especially Owen Bell's wife."
"Well," I said with a small shrug, "don't call them my family. I hate them too."
"… So you betrayed your race."
"'Betrayal' is a strong word," I said. "They threw me away first. I didn't belong to them anymore. I belonged to no one."
"Your race?"
"I didn't exactly get to vote on that. Leah just… changed me." I gave her a tired smile. "She didn't ask for my opinion, but I'm not mad about the change."
Marasuki slid a fresh glass of coffee toward me, then leaned back in her chair with a sharp exhale. Her eyes weren't focused on me anymore; they were somewhere far away.
"I had a unit," she said, voice low but steady. "Thirteen people. Not just any soldiers, either. I built that team from scratch. Pulled favors. Burned bridges. Stuck my neck out to hand-pick each of them."
I listened, not interrupting. She wasn't looking for sympathy. Just space to speak.
"We trained together. Bled together. I knew their habits, their moods, and the way each one moved in a fight. They weren't just subordinates. They were mine. My wolves."
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, sharper now, angrier.
"And then one mission. One fucking mission. Intel said it was a sweep-and-clear. Small outpost, minimal resistance. But the second we stepped into that canyon, we realized we'd been fed bullshit."
Her grip on the mug tightened, knuckles whitening.
"They were waiting for us. The Bells knew. Not only Owen was involved, but his wife was, too. She was the one who led the ambush."
"…She was there?" I asked.
Marasuki nodded grimly. "She smiled. Like it was a sport. Like we were nothing but targets."
I didn't speak. I knew that look in her eyes. That bitter, helpless fury.
"The only reason I made it out was because Kael, our demolitions guy, pushed me into a side crevice and triggered his last charge manually. Buried the cliff. Buried himself. Bought me just enough time to escape with broken ribs and his blood on my coat."
She took a long sip of coffee, then added, quieter now, "I sent thirteen in. I walked out alone."
Silence fell again between us, heavier this time. Marasuki didn't cry. She didn't tremble. But there was something raw in the way she sat, like if she moved too fast, everything would come undone.
I finally spoke.
"Sounds like they were lucky to have you. And I mean that."
Marasuki gave me a sideways glance. "You're not going to give me some speech about moving on?"
"Nope. I don't think we move on. We just… learn how to carry it better."
She nodded once. Then, "That's why I hate the Bells. Every single one of them."
I held her gaze. "Then you'll be thrilled to know one of them, the youngest daughter? She died the day I stopped being Ren Bell."
"Good," she said without hesitation. "That's one less name on my list."
We clinked glasses softly, the bitterness shared between us like old ash.
"You know, I never had a squad when I was working."
"Seriously? How did you do all those missions then? If I remember correctly, you had quite the knack for taking down fortresses."
"Hahaha, if you can teleport anywhere you want, taking down a fortress is easy work, really."
"Haha, I don't know how to feel about that."
We sat like that for a while. No more words. Just the shared weight of old betrayals and newer paths.
Finally, she asked, "Hey, Ren… Want to spar?"
I blinked at her, surprised. "No weapons, no powers?"
"Just hands."
I smiled, then stood. "You're on."