Chapter 15: Which One Is He?
Lillian's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly retreated from the cell, her face burning with embarrassment. The guard grabbed her arm and pulled her away, whispering urgently, "Come on, we have to get you out of here, now!"
Lillian nodded, still in shock, and allowed the guard to lead her away from the scene, heartbroken.
Few cells away from Ryan's cell, the guard glared at the weeping Lillian, "Look here, the money I'm being paid is not enough to endure Luna's ire. Better leave now, because if we're caught, I won't hesitate to confess everything, including your little secret with Beta Ryan."
...
Reana's gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, her expression unreadable, as she walked beside Ryder. The evening air was filled with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. "Tell me, Ryder, what disease are you suffering from?" she asked, a hint of concern creeping into her tone.
Ryder, clad in a new servant uniform, cast a sideways glance at her, "Wolf rot."
"What?" Reana's brows furrowed in concern. "What's that?" she pressed, her tone laced with curiosity. She'd never heard of such an illness before, and her ignorance only added to her growing unease.
"It's a wolf sickness," Ryder explained, his gaze bore into Reana's side profile. "We don't know much about it, except that as we age, our power to shift slowly weakens. And when we do transform, it's... excruciatingly painful." He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "And lastly, our senses - smell, hearing, vision - they all dull, making it harder to survive in our wolf form... That's why I'm afraid to shift."
Reana turned her head, her eyes locking onto Ryder's, filled with concern. "How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle, as if trying not to startle him.