"Venom, why are you against burning down this city? Are you for real? What are you hiding from me? Talk to me, damn it." Lolita did everything possible to get venom to speak up, but there was no response from him. She could only step out frustrated.
She knew that Venom knew something she didn't know, but the damn snake wouldn't speak up. She had the sudden urge to step on its head or even strangle it.
"How could something so tiny have such a big ego?" Lolita said in a soft voice. Venom wasn't offended, but was rather taken aback. He quickly announced his presence by reminding Lolita, "I'm right here, you know?"
Lolita rolled her eyes internally and retorted, "Do I care?" Venom then chose to remain quiet, as Lolita had already cut the mind link she had with him. He could forcefully invade her thoughts, but decided against it.
Venom still maintained that Lolita needed to take things easy, as she had to be extremely sure that the people of Dark-Dawn Avenue are as terrible as she thought. He wouldn't say more, which irked Lolita to no end.
She then stepped out of her room and immediately spotted Professor Mason who was about to knock on her door. He reminded her to watch out for anything that may point to the place showing signs of werewolves as they had already discussed.
She was also reminded to look for him right away in such a situation. Professor Mason had areas to look into but didn't wish to stress Lolita to look into his research area. She was here for a tournament, and they had better keep it at that.
"Where are you going?" Venom quickly asked Lolita after he watched Professor Mason step away. Lolita gave him a quizzical look and responded, "off to the market"
He wondered why she chose the marketplace all of a sudden but still followed up while asking, "what for" Lolita only waved her wrist dispiritedly, but the mamba cheerfully coiled around her wrist and the two left. She wouldn't risk someone spotting a snake beside her in a crowded marketplace.
Lolita looked to be walking around aimlessly, then suddenly, she caught sight of a male and female who were shopping for herbal items in the distance.
"Miss Kurah should be up and running in a few days. I just hope the Alpha wouldn't be angry with her anymore. At least his worries would finally be over.
I really can't imagine something like this could happen to someone like her. And her mother just wouldn't get a wink of sleep. It's so frustrating to watch her looking so stressed, you know.
Tell me, do you believe these new prescriptions would heal her completely?"
Drucilla kept blabbing on and on, and Wesley could only remind her to watch the environment before speaking.
"I believe the royal family would weather this storm and smile again." Wesley responded disinterestedly.
Lolita couldn't help cursing Wesley under her breath. "How could they smile or even be happy when they are deriving joy from hurting others?"
Instead of returning to the mansion, Lolita changed her mind and followed the two back to the palace. She would need to find Alpha Gavin and deal with him immediately. She thought that the sooner she did it, the better for everyone.
"Venom, I need to do something you wouldn't wish to join in, so just stay put. Okay?" She then followed the duo while maintaining enough distance that even Wesley didn't notice anyone trailing them.
When the two finally got to the palace, Lolita realized that Wesley was looking at Drucilla as if he had something to tell her. However, he remained silent and allowed her to leave.
Meanwhile, he remembered to warn her not to step an inch away from Kurah's bed. Drucilla could only inquire, "Would Alpha come and check on her?"
Wesley only ignored her question and urged Drucilla to hurry back. "Okay, thank you"
As Drucilla walked back to Kurah's residence, she couldn't help but ask herself why she was blabbing on and on for a while back in the market. She was so tense that she just kept talking nonstop.
"Why was I so tense just now? I've never been scared of Beta Wesley. Why does my heart beat so fast right now? Whew!"
Lolita watched as Drucilla moved further away in hurried steps.
"Kurah or Gavin?.. Let me check on Gavin first." She then followed the beta and found herself in Gavin's compound.
"How did it go?" Gavin's cold voice was heard echoing in the large hall.
Wesley bowed and responded, "We got everything, my Lord." He then took a deep breath in relief and dismissed the beta.
Just as Wesley stepped out, Ortiz was seen entering the room.
"What do you want?" Gavin asked emotionlessly. Ortiz walked a few more steps closer and questioned, "don't you think you'll feel better after seeing her current condition?"
Gavin dropped his pen frustratedly and admitted, much to the shock of his beta "I feel like I've failed everyone. Ortiz, am I that bad of a ruler that I couldn't even protect my…"
Before Alpha Gavin could finish his statement, Ortiz cut him short, "I understand you are feeling bad right now. But we both know everything would fall into place. Besides, it's no fault of yours. It's all on me. I caused it all."
With a deep sigh, Gavin waved his hands briefly and said, "Enough with the blame game. Let's go take a look."
The smile on Ortiz's face was so broad that Gavin felt like wiping the silly look off the beta's face. However, he decided against it. He witnessed how devastated Ortiz had been for the past few days. He still thought Gavin was oblivious to his feelings for Kurah.
Also, he had no business being around Kurah if Gavin didn't go there. As a result, he hadn't seen her in three days, as Gavin couldn't bear to see his sister in so much pain.
He preferred to hear everything from Drucilla. After all, the maid kept telling them that Kurah is getting better with each passing day. However, he couldn't get how that was possible.
This made Gavin a little confused. He blamed himself for causing his sister to be in so much pain all this while. He had used his aura to heal Kurah since they arrived in Wolftown, but there was no visible change in her.
The next thing he heard after staying away for a day is that she is getting better. For three days in a row, Gavin got positive news, and he didn't even go anywhere near his sister.
As he walked towards Kuah's chamber, he kept checking his hands, wondering what could be the problem.
"Ortiz, make sure she does not step out until I say so. We can't risk anyone seeing her here."
In her hideout, Lolita mouthed in extreme anger, "bastard! If you can commit atrocities, why can't others see it?"
Venom tightened his grip on Lolita when he saw that she was going to make a move. The snake wanted her to just wait for a while, as it still believed that Lolita was wrong in her earlier assumptions.
"There may be dire consequences if you attack him now. Please have patience." Venom pleaded with her.
The seething sixteen-year-old, however, had a hard time reigning in her anger.
***
Immediately after she arrived, Luna Kendra cheerfully welcomed Drucilla.
"Thank goodness, you're back. Please hand me the herbs. Could you watch Kurah for a while? I need to get these prepared according to the prescription."
Drucilla hurriedly handed the items she just bought to Luna Kendra and stepped aside.
When Luna was gone, Kurah beckoned her maid weakly, "I need to see my brother."
Drucilla was in a fix, as she didn't know what to do. She was asked to watch Kurah, but nobody said anything about keeping her bedridden. She could only do as she was told and held the weak Kurah by the arm, as they moved slowly toward Gavin's chamber.
***
"Venom, you know what, damn the consequences!"
***