TWENTY-FOUR

'A sloth,' I thought as I remembered the name of the animal that sleeps a lot. I resembled them since I did not know what to do in a different environment.

If it were another werewolves' pack, I would take the initiative to train with Aiden at the border in the forest. But this is the Lycan environment, and I am sure we do not want to make the king's hatred for us to deepen with our movements.

I gained a new routine thanks to boredom.

I stayed in my appointed room sleeping, eating, and exercising for two days till the maid told me that the Lycan king invited his guests to a banquet with all the nobles attending.

I dressed slightly differently since It was a banquet, but at least I did my best in dressing.

A black tee-shirt paired with a black denim jacket and black denim jeans is what I stared at in the mirror on my body.

'I did well,' I thought.

I brushed my white and black-streaked hair and put on my wristwatch.

After confirming that I looked good in the mirror, I left the room to meet Aiden waiting at the beginning of the floor.

Although the castle is massive, I followed the maid assigned to me's scent and saw Aiden.

I blanked out the minute I saw Aiden. Aiden was wearing a suit, A black and white suit.

"Aiden,'' I called out.

Aiden turned his head and stared at what I wore.

''You know that we are not at home, right?" Aiden looked at me as an idiot.

"Yes," I nodded my head.

"You know the kingdom follows the ancient hierarchy, right?" Aiden continued.

I nodded my head, not knowing where the conversation was leading.

"Then when the king invites you to a banquet, what are you supposed to wear?" Aiden added.

"A dress?" I said.

"Bingo! then why are you wearing an everyday outfit?" Aiden pointed out the issue.

"I don't have a dress, and The outfit I am wearing is slightly different from the others," I said blankly.

"Look, I wore the denim jacket I kept as a trophy in a special suitcase," I added with a serious tone.

Aiden sighed at my mindset with his hands covering his face. "forget about it. I will protect you from any ridiculing comments."

I don't understand what Aiden is stressing about,

I mean, we are in an era different from the ancients. Technically I can dress like this anywhere I want.

"Let's go,"

He led the way to the banquet.

The moment I stepped in, I could see why Aiden worried.

Everyone here is dressing in ball gowns and suits. I am very eye-catching with only casual wear. Now, I want to slap my past self a few minutes ago to listen to Aiden, but reversing time is impossible.

'My trouble seeking fate,' I thought as I could hear murmurs from everyone with their attention on me.

As expected, I could hear ridicules here and there, but I paid no mind to them as I made my way to Hunter and Scarlett.

"You," Hunter sighed.

"I know you can protect yourself, but don't seek trouble, okay?" Hunter warned me.

"Got it," I answered.

I took Scarlett's hands to assure her worried eyes.

She smiled and squeezed them before letting go.

''I am going to have a drink,'' I said to the three of them as I saw people coming toward us.

Hunter and Scarlett nodded while Aiden mumbled, "Be careful."

"Okay," I answered.

I took a drink from a passing waiter and went to a chair at the corner to sit.

I sniffed the drink to ensure the absence of drugs before sipping and watching the guests.

Carmen thought nobody would notice her, but a lot of people did.

They heard of the famous SANGUINEX and knew her as the daughter of an elder. They heard recent rumors from the werewolf community even though it is far away.

Information about them still finds its way to the Lycan's kingdom. When she came into the hall, they were surprised to find a werewolf in a casual and thought she was poor, But immediately they saw her talking to the two elders that came with werewolves, a thought flashed into their minds, and they quickly changed the way they thought of her.

'She must be the SANGUINEX,' They thought.

After one of the guests confirmed their thought from a werewolf alpha, they knew their guess was correct.

Immediately, the way they saw her changed.

All of the guests wanted to start a conversation with her, but the way she carried herself gave them no way.

She gave a vibe like don't approach me with an emotionless face.

They were about to regret the opportunity of meeting her, but Immediately they saw the famous duke's daughter with her clique going to the lady seated with her drink in her hand.

'There must be a good show to watch,' They thought as they strained their ears to listen to the conversation.

I sighed at my trouble-seeking fate for the umpteenth time.

"Yes?" I looked at the glamorously dressed lady with a fan in her hand, looking down at me arrogantly.

"You should be the famous SANGUINEX in the werewolf society," She said.

I nodded.

"Yes, Many people wanted to start a conversation with you, but It seems you don't put anyone in your eyes, including the Lycans and the king." She said, using her open fan to cover her lips.

"I hate banquets," I deadpanned.

The killing knife with words in a conversation; I hate it so much.

She looked at me with furrowed brows and laughed, "So It means you don't put the king in your eyes,"

''No, you don't put your king in your eyes. I am seated at the corner of the hall, and that should give you the impression that I don't want to talk to anyone, but you came to trouble me, which is rude and if people want to start a conversation with me, and they can talk to the man standing close the elders my mother and father. That man is my brother.'' I said impassively.

"Also, who are you?" I asked.

The arrogant lady's face flushed in embarrassment, and she closed her fan with a grip.

"I-I see. Forgive my rudeness," The lady stuttered.

"My name is Brittney from the Macqoid's duke household, and the ladies beside me are from the count's household," She added.

"I see. Then what is your relationship with me?'' I asked, ignoring the emphasis on their status when she mentioned them.

"W-What," Brittney stuttered.

"You mentioned yours and your friends' names, so what is our relationship?" I asked impassively.

'If she thinks she's smart, but she's a fool.' I thought.

Nothing more than an arrogant woman who has not seen the world.

'Like Stella,' I added, remembering Stella's attitude.

The two ladies immediately spoke for their leader, "How dare you,"

They immediately stopped when they saw my eyes, one red and the other violet.

''My beast has been bored lately. Do you want to offer yourself to her?" I asked coldly with slight dominance.

Brittney shivered at the aura this young lady emitted, and She had felt this familiar dominance around someone before, him, the king. But hers is more sinister and oppressive.

"W-who," Brittney tried to speak, but I stopped her.

"My name, Please remember my nickname," I said.

"Carmen," Aiden stared at me.

I heard Aiden's voice and saw him not far from this corner.

I cut off my aura, and the girls I pressured almost fell.

"I think I will go to another corner because you ruined my drink." I stood up from my seat and left them without looking back.

I sat down in another corner, and hopefully, no one paid attention to us.

But Carmen was wrong. Everyone's attention was on them, but they were subtle about it.

The moment they felt the dominance emitting from the Impassive good-looking lady, the Lycans thought about one thing, 'Is the king here?' and looked for him.

'No, they have not announced his presence, but this aura emitted from the young lady is similar but more sinister.' Their Lycans in them almost submitted to her immediately, but they controlled themselves.

Immediately the famous duke lady and her clique shivered and almost fell at the aura. They thought, 'We will just follow what she said, visit her brother,' They sighed in relief in their hearts that none of them followed Brittney's stupidity.

I went to Aiden and followed him to where hunter and Scarlett stood.

Hunter looked at me and sighed, "At least you didn't squeeze her neck, and your eye color is back to normal,"

It went back to normal the minute I stopped asserting dominance.

"But be mindful. It seems the lady has a status in their society," Hunter added.

'Well, she does. She is a duke's daughter,' I thought.

I looked at hunter and decided not to say anything, or he would faint when he learned about it.

I nodded my head and stood with them.

'It seems no one is coming here again,' I thought while staring at the alphas and Lunas socializing.

I left them because I didn't want to socialize with people coming to greet Hunter and Scarlett. But now, It seems they are avoiding socializing with them.

'Good for me,' I thought.

I was about to tell Aiden something when I felt pain all over my body.

An unbearable, agonizing pain I felt all over my body.

I was shaking with sweat on my face.

The pain is worse than the abuse I experienced in the rosemoon pack and also when I shifted into Artemis for the first time.

I could not hear anyone in my surroundings nor Aiden's shout or the king's announcement.

The only thing I heard was a voice, a beautiful and enchanting man's voice, saying

I tried to listen to the voice, but another round of unendurable pain came.

I could feel my black claws elongating and my fangs coming out.

I could see red in my vision.

I could feel my body was not in my control.

'What's happening?' I thought.

''A-Aiden, l-leave,'' I used all the power I could muster to speak with my consciousness leaving.

My fur started coming out.

'I am shifting. Why?' I came to a realization.

'Artemis, Artemis,' I called in my head.

She didn't answer me.

Pain upon pain is what I felt.

I could feel my body dropping to the ground, and The last thing I could see in the red sight was beautiful eyes and the familiar peppermint with a mix of musk that I knew the owner of the scent.

I heard a voice in my head, a different voice. The deep, and guttural voice said, 'Mate.'

I blacked out.