I have no idea which way should I go.
After several twists and turns, I finally got out of the palace.
They changed the design of the palace since the last time we were here, the pack destroyed it out of anger because Rahab almost killed me.
The moons are out in the sky so at least it will be a bit cooler to roam around, finding my way back to castle....
Oops.
I forgot that Lion's castle is floating up in the sky.
Arghhh.
I don't want to go to any of our business establishments as I might be recognized by the workers working there, that is if it is still there.
Hmm..
I should probably start there.
....
To my delight, our business establishments are still popular in which Ghost and Sly must be working hard to keep it alive.
I didn't see them inside so I decided to explore the area as they might be around.
I rummaged around my bag for some jewels that I managed to steal earlier at the palace when I saw in the corner of my eye, Sly walking towards a building.
I was about to call him when I remembered that nobody is supposed to know that I'm here.
I almost made a mistake out of excitement.
Breathe Iris, breathe....
Silently, I tried to follow him in which he walked towards a tavern.
What the.
I'm not surprised as the pack loves liquor.
What I'm surprised about is how he sat down with several female creatures surrounding him.
Hmm.
I seemed to remember him before that he used to avoid them.
Oh well.
I don't have any right to feel jealous if he changed the vow he made towards me.
Of course I admit that I felt a little pang but he deserves a mate that can give him everything, especially love.
With a painful smile, I left the tavern and went to an inn beside it.
I rented a room to stay for a while as I have to change my plans after seeing Sly.
Maybe the others are trying to move on also.
I have absolutely no right to feel bad as I already made myself clear to them that I can't give them the love that I gave towards Lion. It takes a saint to stay with me despite knowing that.
I think I'm the one who is still stuck in the past.
....
As I took a bath inside the room, I decided to make a new plan.
I can't rescue Lion by myself but I have no choice.
Alpha can't help me for now as he is under orders of the contractor. Orm is under house arrest. Sly is...
I gave a miserable laugh in which I remembered all the things that he said to me.
Once a dragon, always a dragon.
And I have no right to be hurt.
I absolutely have no rig.....
I sobbed for a long time.
....
I have no idea where Ghost is so I decided in the end that I will find a way to rescue Lion by myself.
I had a restless sleep since I have to adjust again.
Morning comes as I stared outside my window.
Maybe it was a mistake coming back here.
I thought that things would be the same.
I was stupid for thinking that way.
Lion used to tell me that the changes in this world happened slowly in which there was no need to be in a hurry.
What a lie.
Feeling myself full of negative thoughts, I decided to drown my sorrows in liquor as I've built quite a tolerance back on earth.
I took a bath and wore some simple off shoulder dress that I brought from earth. I don't want someone to recognize me yet so I wore the cloak over my dress and pulled the hood of the cloak to cover half of my face.
I used another bandana to cover my nose and mouth in which I felt myself ready to go and drown my sorrows in liquor.
....
This world's liquor is definitely more potent that what I had on earth.
I haven't finished drinking the whole bottle in which I began to see everything in double.
This isn't even the strongest liquor that they have here.
I started hiccuping in which the room felt like it began to spin slowly.
This isn't good.
Someone might recognize me here.
After several attempts on covering my nose and mouth with my bandana, I walked with difficulty back towards the inn in which I kept on swaying.
I can hear several footsteps approaching me in which some male creatures tried to talk to me while trying to touch my body.
Not again.
Also, how did they know that I'm a female?
Wait.
I mentally slapped myself as I remembered taking off my bandana while drinking the liquor.
I was being stupid again.
I tried to ignore them by walking away in which they grabbed me by my waist.
Curses. I didn't brought any of my self defense weapons.
I tried to remember my training in which I managed to kick some of them as they yelled in pain.
Despite me being dizzy, i managed to run for my life as they kept chasing me.
Being drunk, I ran in the opposite direction of my inn in which I have no idea where am I going as the road seemed endless.
The perverts are getting closer in which in my desperation, I didn't watch where I was going when suddenly I bumped into a creature.
Now I'm doomed.
I didn't look up but I pushed the creature away with all my might in which I hurriedly ran away but not before I felt my hood being pulled.
Now I'm really panicking.
STUPID ME.
I panted as I ran with no direction in mind as all I'm thinking is to get away from those perverts. I felt my tears running down my cheeks as my feet is starting to hurt after all that running.
I was so distracted that I realized too late that the hood isn't covering half of my face anymore. Yes the bandana is still there but my eyes can easily be recognized.
I was being stupid.
I felt my body began to shake as I hear footsteps running towards me.
This is the end.
I can't run anymore.
I huddled on the ground, shaking with fear as the footsteps sounded closer.
I cried out in fear when I felt myself being embraced.
I squirmed as I cried out when I felt a hand stroking my hair in which I slowly recognize Sly's voice as he tried to calm me down.
While sobbing, I tried to push him away in which he held me tighter as he kept nuzzling my cheek while whispering words of comfort towards me.
It took a long time to calm me down in which Sly carried me in his arms as he flew towards the sky.
Then suddenly, everything went black.
....
I'm in Sly's room in the castle.
I'm lying on my side as I can feel Sly embracing me from behind as he is still sleeping.
So this is Sly's room.
It is elegantly decorated with all sorts of treasures in which I saw the locket with my face inside dangling from the wall.
Oh. He took it off.
I sighed as I tried to wriggle myself out of Sly's embrace in which he only held me tighter.
Why would he embraced me?
I tried pushing him away from me when I felt my hair getting tangled into something in which I discovered that he was wearing a locket that looks the same that was dangling on the wall.
What....
I slowly turned towards him as I tried opening the locket in which I saw another portrait of me.
Um.
What does this mean?
But I saw him surrounded by female creatures! And he didn't avoid them!
I'm angry at myself for being angry at something in which I absolutely have no right to be angry about.
Now I'm speaking nonsense.
Sigh.
I sniffed at myself in which I smelled the scent of liquor sticking on my body.
Ew!
In a flash, I hurriedly ran out of Sly's room in which I went to the nearest bathroom that I could find.
I hurriedly took off my clothes as I submerged myself in the water, trying to wash my hair and body when I heard Sly going inside the bathroom.
What is he doing here?
I tried to ignore him as I continued to wash myself when I managed to glance up and saw several of the pack's clothing scattered throughout the floor.
Yikes.
This is embarrassing.
And this is why you should never jump into conclusions without checking the facts.
Curses.
I'm in the wrong bathroom.
Oh no.
What should I do?
To make it worse, I didn't bring any towel with me.
I continued ignoring Sly as I took my time washing my body in which I had to since I didn't brought any towel with me.
After some time, I still didn't hear anything from him in which I tried to glance around and saw him watching me with a towel in his hand.
Oh.
That was stupid of me.
And why am I acting like I'm a teenager? I'm 135 years old already!
I took a deep breath in which I slowly walked towards him and took the towel from him as I whispered into his ear, thanking him while staring into his eyes.
I gave him a smile in which I went outside the bathroom.
Everything inside the castle was a mess, including the bedroom I shared with Lion. Inside I saw a short halter dress in which I decided to wear it.
My hair is too tangled that I needed help in combing my hair. So I went out to look for Sly. I finally found him at the hallway, panting and sweating in which his face looks red that I'm beginning to get worried as he might have a fever. I slowly walked towards him and touched his chest as I'm checking if there's irregularities in his heartbeat. His heart began to beat faster as he stared at me with intense desire in his eyes.
Me being dumb at the moment, didn't read the room in which I pulled him towards me as I tried to reach out his neck in which he began to pant faster.
I looked at him when suddenly I understood what just happened.
Sly spent a long time in the bathroom much to my embarrassment as I tried to distract myself by combing my hair.
....
Sly made me sit on his lap as he fed me small pieces of meat that he cooked. It tasted so delicious that I unintentionally licked his fingers in which his face turned red again.
He spent a long time in the bathroom again.
....
Sly told me what happened in which most of it I already know since Alpha had told me.
He suggested that we find Ghost next as Ghost told him out of the blue that he is going somewhere and never came back.
Orm is under house arrest and is not going anywhere. As for Alpha, as soon as he is finished with his task, there's no problem in recruiting him back.
We were lying on his bed cuddling as I don't want to sleep by myself. He told me that Puma, her mate and most of her older offsprings are working in our businesses in which all Sly does is just supervising and managing.
He asked me when did I came back in which I told him my story from the start where Alpha appeared suddenly in my previous world.
We had a long conversation in which I told him what happened to me back on earth in which he also told me about his story on how he was trying to keep the businesses going as he is still hoping that I might come back someday.
Really.
I turned my back towards him in which he immediately began nuzzling and embracing me, asking me if he said something wrong that made me angry.
I simply shrugged and continued to ignore him.
He began asking me all sorts of questions until I became annoyed and told him the truth on how I saw him surrounded by other female creatures.
I begrudgingly apologized to him, telling him stuff like how I don't have the right to feel that way when suddenly, he lifted my chin up with his finger in which I saw him looking so happy.
Um.
Why does he look so happy?
He continued to look into my eyes as I became more annoyed at him that I averted my eyes.
He laughed as he told me that he feel so happy right now knowing that I wanted him.
That's true.
I won't deny anymore.
Argggghh!
I kept on telling Puma a long time ago that I don't want a harem.
Well.. here we are.
He kept on smiling as he told me that the female creatures that are surrounding him are nagging at him because they wanted to work in our businesses when they learned that we pay better and give the workers good benefits which are not available in other business establishments.
Oh I see.
Oh right! As soon as the pack is complete, I will tell them my idea for our next business.
Anyway.
I remembered Alpha telling me that Sly's been tortured in which I felt a pang in my chest.
While he was talking, I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. We kissed each other deeply as I felt his yearning and joy towards me. He told me that he felt intense joy on seeing me again and how lonely it was for the last 3 years since he is alone here in the castle.
He told me that he will try his best to get stronger so he can protect me better.
Then he kissed me deeply again.