Training Him Well

"The Grand Draw?" Lupin was truly intrigued. It was the same thing that Sinclair mentioned back in the Cove. Roth would force himself to survive because the Grand Draw was almost there. To be able to witness one of the things that Roth refused to let go… it made Lupin wonder. What could this Grand Draw be that his younger son couldn't trade for his own life?

At this, Sinclair knew that he was taking out two birds in one stone. He could punish Roth and ditch his father at the same time. Even if he respected his father, the very outdated outlook was seriously going to affect him negatively. His father's influence was very good in the clan; outside the Cove, it was a very different story.

Roth realized what was happening, but he could only huff at his brother. It was better than having their father drag him back to the Cove. After all, he promised Alice that he would take her with him. She wouldn't have to commit indecencies that she never liked.

"Very well. Let us see this Grand Draw." Lupin gave in to Sinclair's ploy. Even if he knew that Sinclair was only trying to get rid of him, he figured that it would be an experience for him and their mother, who had not been to the city for long. She only went to fetch Sinclair and Roth previously; this time, they should sight-see in the city Sinclair claimed for himself.

"I will start with the arrangements." Sinclair didn't stop himself from bowing respectfully before leaving the room. Roth wanted to follow suit, but he felt that his father's eyes were still on him.

After leaving Roth to his own mild fate, Sinclair felt his head hurt. Even if he would pass everything to Stuart, it was still his responsibility to protect his parents amid the invasion of the cannibals… and impress them with the sights, so he wouldn't have to deal with Roth's problems after this.

Moreover, he figured Ainsley would cry if he came to the place on his own. Not that he could even leave Ainsley to his own devices because there might be another chance that the doctor would meet his friend while he was away. The very thought made him growl.

"God of the humans, please lend me strength."

…

The next two days were nothing eventful. Everything was starting to tame down as if the reports submitted by Sinclair's group to the medical agencies had mitigated the effects of the drug. With Anastasia's vast knowledge about poisons, they were able to reverse-engineer the drug to create a cure for it. It seemed that they managed to defend against the actions of the cannibals.

Of course, Sinclair had hidden everything in anonymity. They didn't need to know who tipped them.

Right now, Ainsley was preparing for another weekend escapade. For some reason, Sinclair was invited by a huge casino to see one of their big events for the quarter. It was the same casino hosting the Grand Draw that Roth was raking in entries for.

He didn't even realize that Sinclair owned shares of that casino. To think about it, Sinclair might as well be the real owner of that place.

"How long are you going to look at yourself in the mirror?" Sinclair spoke while he was working on his look at another mirror.

Upon seeing this, Ainsley pouted. How dare this perpetually good-looking man call him out for trying to feel good in that designer custom suit he wore? After all, they would be esteemed guests of the casino; Ainsley couldn't look like a slob or even appear to be a bumpkin.

Sinclair finished and pulled on his suit to clear the superficial creases. His hair was brushed back like a dapper gentleman who was going to host a party of the high society. Unlike most days, he was wearing a gray suit with silver accents. He was really worth the gushing he would receive later.

"Hey, Sinco, do you even know how to play those games? I haven't gone to a casino before." Ainsley chuckled as he just walked out with the celebrity CEO. It's good that he didn't look like an attendant next to his best friend.

"Hm, are you playing? You do realize that it's fairly impossible for you to win here if you don't spend a lot of money." Sinclair only hummed. He knew how this place operated, so he would rather not have Ainsley get addicted to gambling.

"But the whole experience is halved if I don't play…" Ainsley pouted. He wasn't going to spend thousands; he just wanted to know how it feels to play in a casino.

Sinclair only sighed. "I know how. I'll teach you later. Let's take care of other things first."

They then proceeded to meet the others somewhere on the gambling floor. The whole place was so wide that it could house lots and lots of machines and tables for everyone. However, this gambling floor was for public use; there were private rooms where real big shots lose their money and their faces to the game.

Ainsley's eyes then landed on a strange group with exploding charisma. He expected to see Stuart and Roth standing around, but he was surprised to find three more people with them. His knees buckled for some reason when he saw Lupin and his wife, vaguely remembering the matter in the Cove. However, he was with Sinclair. None of them could hurt him, right?

"Hello there, Mr. Ainsley," Lupin greeted him first, much to his horror. The father seemed to like it when he was encumbered in fear. Well, this man was a dragon, so they probably liked the innate fear they could instill on humans, the lesser beings.

"Hi, Mr. Lupin…" Ainsley would reach for Sinclair's hand if he could. However, he was only holding onto the assurance that Sinclair's eyes were on him.

"Call me Wallace out here. I've decided to borrow a human name while out here in the city." Wallace, who chose on his human name now, waved his hand. He then gave the human a once-over and had his hands behind him. He spoke without taking a look at Sinclair, "Sinclair, are you training him well? The heart seemed to be getting more powerful."

It was strange. The dragon heart should continuously lose power once it was shared with someone outside the dragon clan. Even if the heart melded with the new host perfectly, it shouldn't grow powerful. However, right now, the green heart was brimming with light.

Ainsley was a pure human. Could it be that it had been done?