There were so many suspicions in my mind, and with Fang having said that, I knew what I had to do next. It was clear to me who was the Cermesi clan heir. Just bringing a piece of evidence to the village will not help me avenge Elaine’s death and Sam’s condition. I had to find Zelda and for that to happen I will need help from her sister, the Cermesi princess. 

“Now you are going in the right direction,” Fang smiled at me before sliding the plate of pasta towards me, “Eat up little one, it might be a stressful journey.” 

I looked at the plate and then back at Fang. He was pouring himself the last glass of beer and I could tell it was not going to fill it up to the brim. I looked at the foam as it formed on top of the liquid and my mind actually tried to register the words Fang had just spoken. It was as if Fang knew very well that this was going to happen and he was already getting ready for the oncoming future. My eyes shifted back to the white pasta and this time I decided to not put up any kind of resistance. 

Picking up the fork, I took one bite of the pasta and the cheese burst in my mouth, “Mmm.” I unconsciously made that sound before my eyes went wide and I looked at Fang. 

He held a shocked expression on his face and my lips curled inside with the embarrassment I had brought upon myself. 

“You like it that much that it made you moan?” Fang commented without brushing up his words. It was already embarrassing, and Fang was just adding fire to it. My cheek started to heat up and my hands immediately went to my face to cool it down. The touch of my own cold fingers brought my senses back to normal but the way Fang smirked right now was making every second awkward. 

I went back to eating my pasta as my fingers fiddled with the fork handle and I took a large bite-size into my mouth. 

The sauce dribbled down the side of my lips and before I could take care of it, Fang had already leaned forward to brush it with his thumb. My breath caught up inside my lungs, seeing him lean close to me. “W-What are you-” Fang cut in my words by placing his index over my lips and gathering the sauce that had escaped my mouth before leaning back into his chair. Fang brought his thumb up and placed it in his mouth, sucking at the sauce in the most erotic way he could. 

He hummed before saying, “doesn’t taste as tasty as you.” 

Out of nowhere, the day Fang had marked me popped up into my mind. How he had chained me up and seduced me to reduce the pain of marking. It wasn’t fair, but it ignited something deep in the pit of my stomach. 

I cleared my throat before going back to eating my pasta, making sure that this time I was eating it carefully enough. 

How can he even act like that? No wonder so many girls fall for him. Fang was a big flirt and nothing else. A big flirt with good looks. Goddess Luna had been too merciful to him. 

“You think too much for someone who knows I can read thoughts,” Fang passed me a fake smile. 

I returned his smile to him, “I am no saint to be able to take control of my thoughts.” I had tried that before around Fang and it really did not yield any good result. The more I tried to stop thinking, the more Fang covered my mind. It was like a hundred of Fang sitting inside my head and poking at my brain. 

“Then don’t blame me if I sneak into your head all the time,” Fang said as if he was allowed to do that. 

I slammed the fork into the plate and leaned forward to loudly whisper, “Don’t talk as if I have given you permission to do that.” What was he even thinking by saying that? Just because he was given the ability to sneak into people’s memories did not mean he had the right to it. There was something known as privacy, and that was very tough to get with Fang around.

“Why do you think the Goddess gifted me with such innate ability?” Fang asked smugly, as if had read my mind and it was a counter-attack of words for my thoughts. 

I rolled my eyes before going back to the pasta. Though Fang wasn’t deliberately poking at me today, but talking to him was as good as that. 

After some time, I was done having my food, and Fang had another round of his beer. He was still drinking when I asked, “How is the situation in Waterwoods?” Even they had taken a toll and it would be very cold of me to not ask. Fang had comforted me a while back, and no matter how awkward it was in the beginning, it still provided me with some kind of comfort. I wondered if Fang needed any comforting as well. 

“It’s fine,” came the short reply from Fang.

I wanted to pry into it more, but decided not to do it right now. After all, he had a lot of drink tonight and I did not know how drunk Fang was like. Though he had not shown any signs of being drunk yet, I did not want any drama on my shoulders like Channing had been when he was drunk. 

Coming to think of it today had been a long day. The way I was cornered in the morning by Jack and then Channing, not taking my rightful side. Sam and the order elders’ had passed to Channing. 

It was really a long day with Fang coming to help me with the court and…

And…

I had not thought or sulked about yesterday’s event since I met Fang. Looking back at it, in Winterwells, I was really cranky today with the way I talked with Channing and how I handled Chief Jack’s matter in front of the newsletter reporters. It made me wonder why was that so? Probably because of the dagger which was used to attack me in the middle of the crowd or…

There was no or to it. There was just one answer that Fang had unknowingly provided me comfort. 

My mind around him was so muddled in trying to cope up with his annoying personality that my real self was back again. My brain had genuinely stopped working after seeing the scene in the hospital last night. The cries of the families still echoed in my ears. But in the midst of all the chaos which had risen in my head, Fang’s hug was probably the only calm moment I had since yesterday. My eyes lifted from the table to look at him, and Fang was looking at me seriously. 

“How did you know I was in the capital?” I asked, somewhere, knowing the answer in my mind. 

Fang sighed, “I already told you I asked Channing.” 

“Did you?” I questioned again, not recollecting that conversation with him. He probably might have just followed me, but then again, why would Fang leave Waterwoods during such times. It was not an easy night for both the villages. “Why did you leave Waterwoods today?” 

“I told you I came looking for you,” Fang did not hesitate even for a single moment before saying that. 

I could not decide what to feel right now. It was a dangerous road where Fang was headed and with how I was comforted today, it was a dangerous road for me as well. “I am sure you had something to do with the case here,” It was a statement to explain my own mind instead of him. 

“If that is what will keep you at peace,” Fang said without breaking the eye contact, “then I came here for the case.” 

It was not the answer I wanted. This was not going well. Fang had already kissed me yesterday, rather stole my first kiss, and he had just possessively broken the glass in his hand. “This is not where we are supposed to be headed, Fang.” 

“We?” Fang asked, tilting his head and it just made me realise how I had sounded just now. 

“You,” I corrected myself. 

Fang chuckled, “Don’t tell where and how I should head towards what is mine. I am not forcing you, little one. Don’t make me regret that.” 

“So you would have rather forced me into it?” I asked, getting the right meaning of his words. Fang was an Alpha, a dominating man who was used to getting whatever he wanted. From what I had observed, he was someone who took what he wanted by creating situations in his favour. 

Fang leaned over the table and narrowed his eyes at me, “That is not the right way, Selene, even you know that.” 

I gulped hearing his words. It was unlike him to be actually so considerate, “Fang even the right way is not good.” Whatever Fang was doing and how so many compromises he was doing right to be sitting in front of instead of being in Waterwoods, where he was needed, was just heading in the wrong direction. 

“Leave that decision to me, Selene. You focus on the next step of your plan,” Fang brushed the topic away as easily as that. I kept looking at him, but he had nothing more to say. 

“Fine,” my voice was barely audible, knowing there was no use arguing with this man. 

I had to rather focus on doing the next important thing for getting Zelda – bringing the Cermesi princess into this matter.