Chapter 44: Who Is Maruck??
Elián;
"I heard he’s the scariest of the Alphas." A soft voice whispers somewhere beside me, and when I look through the crowd, I see a young, timid little girl with a pink snout and white wool-like hair. Is she a sheep or something like that?
"Of course he is. Everyone fears him. Even the king can’t predict him." Another maid whispers in response, and I raise a brow.
Are they talking about Alpha Zethar?
"Yes. When he arrives, please don’t say anything or even breathe wrong. No one ever knows what he’ll do next. Remember that time he whipped a guard so hard the poor guard almost died? Till today, no one knows what that guard did, and no one ever saw him since that day." Another maid whispers, and my curiosity is completely piqued.
Their voices suddenly drop lower, and it’s harder to hear them now.
I stealthily try to move closer to them, but Koda’s arms suddenly wrap around me, and he pulls me to himself.
"Gossip rots the mind, Elián." He says, and I blink up at him in awe.
Has he been watching me this whole time?
"I wasn’t listening to them." I lie, and he glances at me.
He makes to speak, but the sound of the doors opening cuts him off.
We both turn to the doors, and my heart skips a beat at the tall, lanky man who walks in.
He looks strikingly familiar... but different at the same time.
I tilt my head silently as I stare at him through the crowd.
He looks a lot like Zephan. But with several features that make him different.
He has long black hair. Hair that sits elegantly on his head and travels down his back like a veil of sleeping, elegant shadows.
He’s dressed in black pants and a black, open robe that’s unbuttoned. Leaving glorious abs out on display.
His left arm is covered completely in beautiful black scales that catch the light as he walks.
His face is calm. Unreadable... and oh, so handsome.
He looks like those kinds of movie characters who are cold and dead inside... but you can’t help but admire them.
He looks like the kind of man who drags destruction behind him and could rip the sky open with just a smile.
Why does one person carry so much... aura??
Who is this man, and why does he seem like someone who has to be... feared?
"Welcome home, Zethar." The King greets, and I blink at the handsome man standing just a few feet away from his Father.
"This estate felt different in your absence." The King adds, and the godish-looking young man in front of him smirks.
He smirks!
Why the fuck does that look so good!? And why is he smirking?
"Is peaceful the word you intended to use, Father?" He questions, and my jaw drops.
Okay. This looks like drama, and I’m so sat!
"Yes." The king replies, and I can’t help the entertained smile that splits my face.
Family drama?? Who thought I’d ever get to witness one here!? This looks juicy!!!
Someone, dim the lights and get me popcorn!
"Aw. Too bad the peace has come to an end." The young man replies, and one of my brows shoots up.
Okay.
I’m just seeing Mr. Attitude, but I’m on his team!
"What’s in the sack, Zethar?" The king finally asks, and Zethar pauses. Like the question just made him remember something he wishes to forget.
I lean forward curiously as he reaches into the sack in his hand, and Koda wraps an arm around my waist to keep me from falling.
My eyes widen. Is that... Is that a person’s head???
A fucking head?!!
I stagger backwards in shock, and the only thing that keeps me from falling is Koda’s grip.
Gasps ripple through the hall as he tosses the decapitated head, which has... are those antler horns?
He tosses the head on the floor towards his father, and my eyes dart up to the man in pure horror and disbelief.
He’s a fucking lunatic!
He’s mad!!
He’s a fucking mad... he’s a serial killer...
He’s a murderer!!
"What is this, Zethar!?" The king demands, and I stare expectantly at the guy.
Yeah, Zethar. What exactly is this!? Why do you have a person’s head in a sack?!
"He’s one of Balinar’s men." He replies, and I look over at the king, but the king is silent as the palace workers start murmuring.
Who’s Balinar? What is Balinar?
What am I missing??
"Who’s Balinar?" I whisper curiously to Koda, who’s beside me, but he just looks at me and back up at the scene in front of him, like I didn’t just ask a question.
My jaw drops in shock, and immediately, my eyes find Alana, who’s standing behind me.
"Who’s Balinar?" I whisper to her, and instead of leaning in to give me an answer, she holds up a finger to her lip with a look that’s begging me to keep quiet.
"I can see that. Why do you have his head?" The king demands, and I turn back to the scenes unfolding in front of me.
Zethar walks toward him rather nonchalantly and places a foot on the head as he stares at his father.
"Two nights ago, a group of Elkhornen men attacked my camp. More specifically, a group of Elkhornen men attacked me. This fuck was their leader." He explains, and although everyone around looks like they understand, my head tilts as I try to make sense of what I’m hearing.
Elkhorn? Balinar...? Is this even English? What are they talking about? Is Elkhorn a country?
"Why then didn’t you bring him in for questioning?" The king demands, and my gaze returns to Zethar, who still has his foot placed on the head.
He smiles at his father, and I jump a bit in fear when the head audibly cracks and then squelches under his foot.
"He killed Maruck." He replies with a drop in his tone, and the entire hall gasps.
Okay. I’m clearly the only one here not understanding what the fuck is going on.
What’s with all these names now?
Who is Maruck??
Will someone please explain what the hell is going on??
How can it all be happening in front of me and I still can’t understand shit!?
What’s going on?