"This box belonged to my daughter," the older man said. His cheeks were wet with the tears from earlier. "It was so precious to my little girl," he said, with a wavering voice.
"My mother gave this pendant to me before she died. Are you perhaps my grandfather?" I asked in a tiny voice.
The older man, to everyone's surprise, fell to his knees before me, resting his head on my lap.
"I finally found you, my child," he said, gently cupping my face.
This man looked nowhere near being this sentimental at first glance. The powerful ambiance he possessed had turned into a fatherly warmth in a moment.
The men following him were no different from me. They were astounded and perplexed to see their master embracing a rogue they were about to kill moments ago.
"Release her right now!" my grandpa ordered his men coldly.
It didn't take more than seconds for the men in black suits to come and untie me. My arms were red and lacerated by the cuts from the rope.
Caspian had an unfathomable expression on his face as his eyes followed my every movement.
The thugs hastily fell on their knees, begging for their lives to my grandpa.
"Forgive us, Alpha Lord! We had no idea about the lady," they said.
"Did I not teach you how to deal with a woman properly no matter who it is? How could you tie her up like this?" my grandpa asked calmly.
His voice possessed so much sovereignty that the thugs shivered.
"We were wrong, my lord!" they cried out.
Caspian went towards the old man, who was lying half dead afar, and grabbed him.
"Now, tell us, which family do you belong to? This is the only chance you will get," Caspian said coldly.
Caspian possessed a similar aura to my grandpa, serene yet so powerful that it would make anyone curl up before them.
"Black-black snakes," the man said, trembling. Caspian let go of the man's collar.
"Indeed," Caspian said calmly. A smirk appeared on his lips.
Shortly, to my utter surprise, his eyes glowed. I rubbed my eyes in awe to confirm if his eyes were glowing for real.
Yet, the biggest surprise was waiting for me. The old man before him was as if had been set on fire. His skin turned into ashes. And shortly, his body turned into a young male's.
"A shifter," my grandpa mumbled.
Caspian turned to my grandpa. His eyes glanced at me on my grandpa's arm. My legs had declined to bear my weight, witnessing the unbelievable. Hence, I was clinging to my grandpa like a leech.
"Master," Caspian said calmly.
"Only the snakes would dare to invade our territory. No wonder," my grandpa said. "I believe it's time now we held an official meeting with them."
Caspian bowed at my grandpa's words. "Master, I treated the lady erroneously as well. I have disappointed you again," Caspian said calmly.
He looked gloomy. My grandpa gently placed his hands on Caspian's head, lightly patting him.
"I am aware. It's hard for you to accept rogues. However, my granddaughter's been living like an ordinary human till now. She is not like the other rogues. You can feel it, can't you, Cas?" my grandpa asked.
"Yet, I can not accept it," Caspian said calmly.
My grandpa frowned at him confusedly.
"What are you implying?"
"We need to ensure it by tests. This girl could have gotten that box from anywhere. And about her features, it's not hard to get surgeries. What if our enemies’ families have been scheming against us?" Caspian asked.
"I do not have any uncertainty about this young lady here being my granddaughter. If you are suggesting a DNA test, I can not deny it. As the Alpha of this pack, it's my responsibility to justify my every action to my people," my grandpa said calmly. "However, I will expect you to accept her wholeheartedly once her heredity is assured," my grandpa said.
My grandpa attempted to leave with me as I struggled in his arms to walk. I felt a twist in my ligaments.
"Let me take her to the car," Caspian said, spreading his palms.
I noticed that my grandpa trusted him more than anyone as he gently passed my body to Caspian's arms. My cheeks turned red as his perfectly formed chest came in contact with my body.
Caspian effortlessly carried me in bridal style and headed upstairs. I hesitated to place my arms over his broad shoulders. Caspian had a unique sweet fruity scent about him. I could tell it was not any perfume or anything artificial.
I did not know why my heart was pounding so hard on my ribcage. As I glimpsed at Caspian's face, his eyes met mine. I hastily looked away. How long had he been looking at me? I wondered.
When we came outside, I saw a black Lamborghini waiting. Caspian gently put me inside the car. I thought my grandpa would accompany me wherever I was going to be taken.
However, another car appeared as my grandpa leaned down on the door of my car and caressed my face.
"Caspian will look after you, my child. I am sorry. As much as I want to spend my time with you, there's something I must take care of first. I will see you in the afternoon," Grandpa said gently.
I noticed that my grandpa had not even asked for my name. I grabbed his sleeve awkwardly as he was about to close the door. Caspian sent me a chilling glare as if I had committed a grievous crime. My grandpa stared at me confusedly.
"I am Bailey," I said calmly.
My grandpa gave me the warmest smile as he cupped my face again. "This is the name I had chosen for you when you were still in your mother's womb," he said.
Caspian sat beside me in the car. He did not utter a single word the entire way.
The car stopped in front of a massive hospital. The butler opened the door. Caspian did not wait for me to get down. He gently carried my body again as a few men in black suits again appeared out of nowhere.
As we entered the hospital, the nurses hastily came toward us. They took my body from Caspian's arms and placed me on a stretcher. People were staring at us as the entire hospital administration began to treat us sophisticatedly.
Throughout my eighteen years of life, I had never received such elite class treatment.
I was semi-lying in my cabin. Caspian had left somewhere. The nurses had come earlier to treat my wounds. They washed me up afterward. I didn't know nurses would go this far for patients.
I stared outside of the massive window. The transparent white curtain was floating happily on the sweet breeze.
Lavender wisterias were kept on the table by my bed. It felt serene.
"Did Caspian bring me here for the DNA test?" I wondered.
Shortly, the doctor entered my room with Caspian by his side.
The first thing I noticed about the doctor was his aqua-blue eyes, clear as water. The man was elegant. His snow-white coat with unusual silver-blue hair gave him the appearance of an ice prince.
The doctor was the same height as Caspian, with a muscular build visible, even under his white coat.
"How have you been feeling, my lady?" he asked, smiling at me elegantly as if I was some princess from a historical novel.