" K? What's that?" Obryn Judith asked, totally confused by Lydia's weird behavior.
" Umm... I—"
" Don't tell her," Delia spoke in a hurried tone.
"What's wrong?" Obryn Judith asked again, looking at Lydia, trying to read her.
" Umm... I mean, it's nothing. I usually have this weird experience since the death of my father," Lydia lied, gritting her teeth afterwards. She hated the feeling of using her late father's demise as a thing of excuse.
"Oh... I am so sorry to hear that. Take heart," Obryn Judith said with a light tap on Lydia's back.
"T-thank you," Lydia managed to say as her eyes became moist with tears.
"Oh... Don't cry," Obryn Judith said and hugged Lydia, providing comfort to her.
After sobbing on Judith's shoulder for a while, Lydia withdrew from the embrace, feeling better.
"Thank you," Lydia spoke, her voice hoarse.
"You're welcome," Judith replied with a warm smile. "I have to leave now so I won't be punished," Judith said and left, and Lydia was alone again.
"What was that?" Lydia asked, directing the question to Delia, but there was no response.
"Delia?" She spoke again, but there was no response still.
"Delia, are you dead?" Lydia spoke in a pissed tone.
Then she heard Delia's low chuckle. "What? Missing me already? I thought you don't want to talk to me and you act pissed when I talk to you. So, what do you want?"
"Hey! Don't talk to me that way! I am your host! Without me you're nothing!" Lydia spoke, her voice laced with pride, which made Delia scoff.
"Ohh, you think so...? We both need each other. Without me, Lydia... you're nothing but a weakling," Delia replied.
"Humph!" Lydia replied and closed her eyes, beginning to recall everything she saw in the trance.
"Who's K? Or Kaido?" she asked herself, wondering who he was and why he keeps appearing in her dreams.
"He's our mate," Delia replied, causing Lydia to open her eyes immediately in surprise.
"Mate?? Like my husband-to-be or what?" she asked, and Delia chuckled.
"Yes, he's our mate."
"What?" Lydia spoke and remembered earlier how Felisha's mate acted like a psychopath.
"Do you mean he'll suddenly show up and want to claim me?" Lydia asked.
"Why are you asking me questions?" Delia asked back. "Do you only talk to me when you need me?"
"Urgh! Okey, okey, I am sorry!" Lydia spoke.
"Apology accepted," Delia said with a smirk.
"About our mate... yes, he'll come to claim you," Delia added, this time her voice serious.
"Oh... What if I don't like him?"
"You'll like him, don't worry," Delia spoke, which made Lydia breathe out heavily.
"But I am not ready to get married soon," Lydia spoke in a serious tone as she remembered about her past life. Her hand balled into a fist, and she began to punch the pillow, imagining it as her ex's face.
"Are you okey?" Delia asked in concern.
"I am," Lydia replied, and immediately she heard a loud bell ring.
She struggled down from the bed and limped to the assembly ground where all the new obryns gathered together.
"We heard a disheartening news a few minutes ago," the senior chain mistress spoke, her tone cold like ice as her eyes swept the crowd, engraving fear in the obryns' hearts.
"One of our skilled soldiers died a painful death because his mate rejected him," she added, causing gasps from the crowd.
Immediately Lydia heard it; her hand became sweaty and she was filled with fear. She suspected that it was Felisha's mate. "Poor guy," she muttered under her breath as she felt bad for him.
"Who among you rejected your mate?" the woman asked, her tone threatening.
When she said that, the obryns began to look at each other, finding who it was. Lydia looked amongst the crowd until her eyes met Felisha's cold gaze, causing her to look away. Felisha looked unfazed about his death and acted like nothing happened.
"Speak up or I'll punish you all!" the senior chain mistress threatened, causing the girls to murmur.
"Excuse me, ma'am, don't we have the right to choose the mate we want?" a girl spoke, and everyone's eyes were drawn to her.
The chain mistress smirked and walked towards her, the crowd tearing, giving her space.
"And you are?" the chain mistress asked.
"I am Samantha, daughter of Alpha Devon of Vireth Park," she replied, her tone sharp.
The senior chain mistress let out a cold laugh. "You think because your father was once an Alpha that gives you the right to boss around in this park? Look, princess... you are nothing but an obryn now, so keep your act together," the chain mistress warned.
Samantha scoffed. "If you people hadn't brought us out of our comfort zone I would be at home enjoying myself, not doing the work of a slave here!" she barked, and a loud slap was heard. Samantha held her burning cheeks in anger.
"Take her out!" the chain mistress commanded, and she was taken out by two muscular-looking women.
"Anyone who dares talk back to me due to your previous position I'll make you miserable," she directed her speech to the crowd.
"Every one of you here are not to reject your mate if you find them here! You should be grateful that the Moon Goddess gifted you a mate from this park!"
"You low lives, you dare reject your mate especially. That soldier? Do you know how many battles he has fought for this park? He's one of the important people in this park and he's favored by the Alpha of this park, yet you think you are better than him? I hope your next mate will be the one who'll bring your demise," she said while looking at the newbie obryns with hatred.
"Since you all don't want to admit to it, I'll punish you all for that!" she shouted in anger and left.
Immediately after she left, a lady putting on a sha
rp soldier uniform came in her face devoid of warmth, her eyes looking red and dangerous from anger.