Chapter 257 Chapter 256
"I know I don't look presentable right now, but think about it, things could have been so much worse." Rayena stressed. "Xenon was really uncontrollable, I'm sure if it had been someone else, Xenon would have killed them. I'm not going to stand by and watch him shed blood."
"Besides...." Rayena muttered, her voice low, her eyes dropping to her hands, the words barely audible. "I don't regret giving myself to him."
Soraya whipped her head to look at her, surprise etched on her face, her eyes wide with curiosity. "You don't?"
Rayena shook her head, her gaze resolute, the motion sending a strand of hair tumbling down her back. "No. If it came down to it next time, I'll do it again."
"You're insufferable." Soraya said with a scoff, but soon let out a wary smile. "Nothing I can say will change your mind, so I'm pleading with you to be careful."
Rayena nodded, giving a small smile. "I will do my best."
"But... You know. Xenon could have killed me, you know." Rayena divulged slowly, her voice quiet.
Soraya turned slowly to look at her. "Really?"
Rayena shrugged, letting out a sigh. "At least, that's what he's been doing to the other women. I can't help but think he feels something is different with me. Or, what do you think?"
"I think it's too soon to tell." Soraya muttered. "But this is something that we have no record of happening before, so I have no way of telling. Regardless, you're still threading a dangerous path."
Rayena sighed, feeling down yet again. "I feel like I'm grappling at straws. If only there was a hint that proves Xenon will in fact return. I won't be so desperate."
"Have a little faith." Soraya said, squeezing her hand.
Rayena nodded, offering a small smile.
Two days later, when Rayena was mostly recovered, she went to look for Morvan. She didn't find him in his usual spots, and once she asked around, she was informed he was training new recruits. At that, she decided to go check up on Xenon.
Peeping through the tiny opening, she found the wolf lying on the ground, curled into itself, tail swishing slowly from side to side. Her heart warmed at the sight, though she didn't like seeing him all chained up, she knew it was a necessary precaution.
As if on cue, the wolf turned its head, his gaze landing directly at her, the yellow eyes piercing, making her heart skip a beat, the air seeming to vibrate with tension.
"Hey there..." She called out, her voice barely above a whisper, the words tumbling out in a rush. "How are you? I see you're doing well."
Its tail wagged a little faster, the sight making her smile.
Rayena cocked her head to the side. "Won't you say hi to me back?"She asked, her voice soft, coaxing, His yellow eyes narrowed slightly, but the wolf did something it hadn't done before.
He responded with a soft purr.
Rayena's jaw slackens in shock, her eyes threatening to pop
out of her sockets. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Did Xenon just purr at her?! She scrambled closer, wishing she had the strength to push down the door.
"D-do that again," she stuttered, her voice too tiny, too filled with hope.
The wolf's eyes relaxed, and it gave another growl, much softer this time around, the low rumble vibrating through the air. Her hands started trembling. Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her, but she forced herself to stay upright. "You recognized me! Xenon... You, you recognized...!" She couldn't finish the words as a startled cry burst from her lips.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, and when she turned around, she saw it was Morvan walking towards them. She immediately ran up to him. "Xenon! He recognized me!" She cried out, her eyes filled with tears, her voice shaking with excitement.
Morvan stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. "What did you say?" He muttered, voice dangerously low.
"I was talking to him, and I asked him to say hi to me back, and he purred! Xenon purred! He's never done that before!" When Morvan didn't say anything, she added, "Even now, he's wagging his tail. I have to see him! You have to let me see him!"
Morvan didn't need any more convincing. He rushed towards the door but hesitated slightly. "Show me once more," he said, leaning down to observe.
Rayena obliged, peeping through the opening and clearing her throat. The wolf's ears perked up. "Could you... Could you come closer?" She asked in a bated breath, hands trembling as she placed them against the cold steel doors.
The wolf growled but rose from where he sat, moving closer to her. He stopped when the chains ran out, giving a grunt of discomfort.
"See?" Rayena muttered, glancing back at Morvan. Shock blanketed his features, his skin pale as snow. He rose to his full height and pulled unlocked every bolt, pulling open the door. Rayena rushed in, before hesitating at the entrance. Her body remembered every wound from that night — but her heart didn’t care. "H-hi..." She stammered, her voice visibly shaking.
The wolf growled, but his eyes gleamed with interest, his tail wagging even faster. Rayena could scarcely hold it together. This time, something had definitely changed within him. Not more of that unrecognizable stare he used to give whenever she watched him feed.
She couldn't stand staying away, so she advanced a step, and another, till she was standing directly in front of him, the heat from his body radiating towards her, making her skin tingle. The wolf leaned forward, taking a sniff of the air around them, its snout brushing against her fingers, before letting out another soft purr.
A gasp caught in Rayena's throat. The tears filled her eyes fast. "Did you see that?" Rayena whispered to no one in particular, gingerly reaching and brushing its ears. "It's touching me, willingly."
"Indeed..." Morvan muttered, awe filling his voice. He hadn't seen the King's wolf form so laid back in years. This was nothing short of a miracle.
Then he thought back on the days he'd been observing the king. "Actually, he's been more relaxed since his rut. I just wasn't expecting this much of a difference. I think he recognizes you in some way."
Rayena glanced at Morvan, cleaning off the tears that had slipped past. "Really?"
"Yes... I don't know why, but he does."
"That's wonderful news. It means there's hope." She continued stroking his head, heart fluttering as he brushed his nose against her dress, sniffing. "It means there's a chance he can come back to us."
Morvan's throat tightened. This had been an impossible dream years back, but now... Now he wanted to cling unto it.