CHAPTER FIVE. Shadow In The Night.

Arud lay in bed with his eyes wide open.

Eva was sleeping peacefully beside him.

Her soft breathing did little to soothe him tonight.

He couldn't sleep; his beast wouldn't let him.

It was usually at a time like this that he went hunting, so right now every single one of his senses was on high alert.

He could hear the sound of the servants indulging in late-night gossip and the trees creaking outside the window as they swayed in the wind.

The chirping, croaking, and screeching calls of every nighttime creature within a one-mile radius of the mansion.

His ears were currently on fire.

The night breeze blew in from the windows, bringing with it a new scent every few minutes, setting his beast to clawing.

His night vision had kicked in as well. Everything he set his eyes on was displayed in great detail, almost as good as it was in the daytime.

Arud cursed inwardly.Closing his eyes and turning to plunge his head into the pillow. This was what he got for deciding to pursue hunting as a hobby.

As a matter of fact, the Prince didn't exactly need the money he got from selling each kill after every successful hunt, but ever since Riana's death, the kingdom had been somewhat peaceful, leaving him with almost nothing to do as a Guardian.

In a bid to put all that free time to good use, Arud had taken up hunting. He loved the outdoors, and he loved the challenges that came with it.

At the time, it had also posed as a good chance for him to develop his beast skills, and this didn't disappoint.

Arud could shift faster than before and could use controlled shifting - morphing only parts of the body - better than before.

Gregors could shift without ending up naked in the end; it just depended on how smoothly one could do it.

With every shift, there was a thin line between keeping sane and losing total control of one's beast. Keeping sane after shifting was quite challenging and demanded years of practice after a Gregor attained the ability to change forms at the age of twelve.

Balancing both human and beast consciousness on the same scale helped with shifting without any discomfort and keeping a clear mind while in beast form.

If a sudden shift driven by anger, extreme hunger, or some other negative emotion happens, however, it could result in a Gregor losing complete control over their beast.

Shifting would be too hasty and there would be no balance whatsoever, and, most times, Gregors who ended up shifting after this would inevitably end up doing something they regret.

Arud's control over beast form had grown considerably better with hunting, but, unfortunately, nothing had prepared him for the consequences that came with the occupation.

His senses had grown more powerful, and he found his beast could easily express itself even in human form.

He would growl when something annoyed him and purr whenever something pleased him.

Worst of all, his beast would never let him get a good night's sleep whenever he chose not to go hunting.

No matter how many times he tried, something would always distract him. Making him wish he'd never ventured into the activity in the first place.

Groaning in frustration, he closed his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep.

He didn't succeed.

He could still hear things he didn't need to listen to.

The night breeze brought with it a new scent every few seconds. The scent of rain mostly, and something else.

Something dark and foreign.

His beast growled.

Arud bolted up in bed, breathing in a little deeper, wondering if he was mistaken.

His senses couldn't be wrong. A stranger had entered his territory, and they were currently inside the mansion.

Arud swung his legs over the bed and got to his feet quietly so he wouldn't wake Eva.

He listened intently, trying to catch even the slightest sound that would give him an idea of where the stranger was headed.

Aside from the normal nighttime sounds, Arud could hear nothing else.

However, he could still smell that scent. He shifted his focus toward the servant quarters.

So far, it didn't seem like the servants had noticed anything.

It couldn't be a new servant who he wasn't familiar with. Elvie would have informed him of that long ago.

It couldn't be a visitor either, not at this time of the night anyway.

So it had to be a stranger, and from everything he'd sensed so far, it was one who didn't wish to be found out.

A single noise reached his ears then, so quiet that it was almost indiscernible.

The creaking sound of a door being opened.

Arud immediately focused all of his attention toward the sound. He could tell it was very close by. Probably just a few rooms away from he and Eva's.

All of the rooms on this side of the mansion were empty, reserved only for visitors.

All, except one.

'The babies' room!', Arud thought, alarmed.

Stealthily, he moved to the door, opening it quietly so he wouldn't frighten the stranger, and peered through.

It was just as he had suspected.The door to the babies' room, almost opposite theirs, had been opened ever so slightly. Arud could see the silver light from the moon shining through.

He padded out their door and headed toward the other, never making a sound.

When he reached the other room, Arud peeked into the open space. What he saw next made his heart beat even faster than before.

At first, there was nothing - just the babies asleep in their cot, the room dead silent.

Then, out of thin air, like smoke from a newly lit fire, a dark figure appeared.

It was tall, about the same height as Arud, with a lanky build.

Due to the nature of the person's physique, Arud could tell it was a male.

The prince couldn't make out the stranger's face as he wore a dark cloak with the hood drawn fully over his head.

It didn't seem like the stranger had noticed Arud, and the prince wished to keep it that way for a few more minutes, long enough to see what he wanted.

The figure seemed to float to the cot as Arud noticed he couldn't hear the male's footsteps even with his enhanced hearing.

'He's a shadow lurker', Arud realized.

Shadow lurkers were Gregors who possessed the ability to blend in with their immediate surroundings. So much so that one wouldn't notice their presence even if they stood right next to them whenever these Gregors used their talents.

Their powers also allowed them to hide the sounds their bodies made when moving. Only very skilled Shadow Lurkers could hide their presence entirely, hence the reason why Arud could still sense him.

If Arud hadn't been very familiar with his beast, he would never have realized the stranger was around.

'I guess hunting wasn't exactly a bad idea.

Now standing next to the cot, the male gazed at the sleeping infants for a second before slowly pulling something out from his side.

Arud's heartbeat quickened when he saw the sharp outline of a curved blade gleaming against the moonlight.

It threatened to break its way out of his chest as the stranger raised the weapon above his head, its metal blade glimmering like the sun.

Arud didn't wait to see him bring it down.

With a growl, he crashed through the door and shifted.