Layan took a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed it as if it were chewing gum. It barely made it down his throat so he took a large cup full of water swallowing every last drop. This was filled again by Kei who was sitting across from him at his special table.
Unlike Hades' pack not everyone ate in the castle together with him given the size of the pack. Usually those who were paired up used to cook at their respective homes. Meanwhile, bachelors, guards, youngsters, those who worked in there or anyone who did not want to go hunting that day, could join them. In the end, there were always more than 50 people gathered there.
-Kei served another piece of meat on his plate although Layan didn't pay attention to it and that worried the beta. Given his job, his alpha was one of the ones who consumed the most food.
-I lost my temper today, Kei,- Layan blurted out, dropping his back against the back of his seat, -I yelled at Priscilla, I locked her up. I'm not like that. I've never behaved so wild with anyone. No matter how annoying I get.
He ran his hand over his face, which he ran to the side so as not to focus on the face of his beta, who he knew would not judge him. He wasn't keeping Kei by his side for the sake of it. There was no one more loyal than him.
-Alpha, Priscilla is a difficult wolf.
-That doesn't justify my actions,- he sighed, -I already sent her food but I think I should go talk to her personally. This time I will try to be the rational wolf that I am and not lose my patience with her- -I understand alpha-.
-I understand alpha,- as always Kei was a wolf of very few words.
-I'll take care of this,- he pointed to the crowded dining room with his chin.
He stood up only to see one of the guards run in and drop to his knees in front of him. Part of his clothing had a lightly cracked coating of glass on it. No. It wasn't glass. It looked like... ice.
-What the hell is going on? -Where had the ice come from? It was not yet the winter season in his land. Did he...
-My lord, we can't enter the Princess's room,- he stuck his head to the ground. Layan gritted his teeth, -Everything is frozen.
The alpha's eyes widened and he ran off in the direction of where Priscilla was supposed to be. His heart pounded hard in his chest and his breath caught in his throat as he stopped in front of the door.
It wasn't just the room where he had left Priscilla. The walls along the hallway, the floor, the curtains, the windows, even the decorative flowers they used to put up every day were covered in a platinum, shiny layer of ice. The temperature had dropped considerably and was not even warmed by the sun's rays filtering through the windows.
But the worst was at the door. You could barely make out the color of the carved wood. The coating over it was extremely thick and solid. Thin, icy smoke trailed from the lower edge and trailed along the floor.
Beside Layan stood three more guards concerned about the situation but as soon as one of them decided to touch the door handle to force it uselessly his hand froze instantly and the layer of ice began to move along his arm.
The wolf screamed and fell to the ground. Layan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away from the cold ordering them to put his affected limb in warm water. He didn't know if it would work. This was no normal frostbite.
-Don't anyone come near,- he ordered firmly. He heard Kei rushing over with two more guards but stopped him with his gaze. The beta had been so long by his side to understand the reference- Priscilla- he called to the she-wolf.
He waited several seconds where he received no response. He could not smell her scent or hear her movements inside, even with his senses developed above the average of any wolf. That made him even more uneasy.
-Priscilla, it's Layan, let me in,- he asked her and again there was no answer. He tried to call her through his incomplete link but failed. It was clear, it was incomplete, at that distance and with a barrier in between it didn't work. IF they were bonded his mind could connect with hers easily- Damn-.
He would need to be next to the she-wolf in order to bring her to her senses again. This seemed the same to him as when she had lost control when she awakened her fire power. At least this time she was in a specific place and hadn't run because with how large her expanses of land were and her more developed abilities it would be hard to catch her again.
He took a step forward. The wolves around him grew nervous.
-Alpha- Kei tried to get him to stop but Layan shook his head. As alpha he had to do something.
He moved closer to the door and without hesitation grabbed the door handle. The rest stifled a worried groan but compared to the previous guard who had knocked on the door, Layan's hand didn't freeze. Rather, it didn't.
-Nothing happened?- he muttered to himself pulling his hand apart and looking at his palm in perfect condition, he hadn't even felt the coldness of the ice coating the cuff. He squeezed his eyebrows together.
Perhaps this was related to what Priscilla had told him about the fact that she couldn't read his mind. He ran his hand over his head. This was crazy. But for the moment he had to take it one step at a time. Later he would talk to her in detail and get all the information he needed out of her. Even if he had to force it through the bond.
He gripped the handle between his fingers again and turned it with the intention of opening the door and removing the lock from the outside but as expected it didn't work. The ice didn't seem to affect him but everything around him. He grunted. He hadn't expected it to be so easy.
Then he began to gradually shift. He let his claws grow larger, his muscles become even more defined, his fangs grow dangerously large and his eyes glowed brightly. He ripped off his shirt tearing it and let his chest become covered with a light coat of red fur.
He didn't turn completely but just enough to harness the strength of his wolf form. He looked at the door again and propelled himself forward slamming it with his shoulder. Even the wall creaked at the force with which the door was hit and the ice cracked.
Layan backed away again. His companions stood back, not only because of his alpha's warning, but because of his current appearance. It was very strange for him to wear any of his aspects half-heartedly.
It wasn't two or three times that Layan had to knock on the door. It was five by the time it opened halfway. Finally he kicked it and it slammed into the wall shattering the layer of ice covering it.
Alpha's shoulder was bleeding and it was dripping on the floor and getting lost in the cold mist that reached almost halfway down his leg. But thanks to his skills the wounds closed quickly leaving only the trail of blood.
Before advancing inside he retracted his animal form to return to his previous appearance. He knew well that it was not an image to remember in good senses. He took a few steps into the room and there the scene was even worse than outside.
From the floor, the bed, the mirror, the sheets were covered by a layer of ice. It took him a few seconds to react to start looking for Priscilla. HIS sight moved from the bed to the sofa that was there but he couldn't find her. Worst-case scenarios came to his mind when, through the haze on the floor he thought he saw a dark flash.
His eyes opened and he ran there and the closer he got the stronger the shiver ran through him. He stopped suddenly. He had not been mistaken. On the floor, lying on her side, barely wearing the underwear he had left her in when he left her alone, and covered in a layer of frost was Priscilla's body.
Her eyes were closed and her chest did not move.