The colour on my face drained from hearing when Hailey said that Fang was angry with me. It was not hard to come to a conclusion that Hailey definitely said something wrong about me and Channing to Fang. “What did you do?” I questioned raged y her causality towards the matter. 

“Geez, look at you getting all worked up,” Hailey responded tauntingly, “I did not expect you to care so much about what Fang thought about you, since you are dating Channing.” 

My face scrunched before I closed my eyes, trying to drink back my fuming anger. Not an hour had passed since Hailey was released and this woman was already creating troubles for me. I opened my eyes to calmly talk to her while she continued to have that mischievous grin on her face. She reminded me of Fang, in the sense where she loved to step on my every nerve. “Look Hailey, I am not dating Channing and neither Fang, I just don’t want that troublesome man around me while we solve this case.” 

“Is that so?” Hailey pouted like a child, “well I was looking forward to meeting Fang after such a long time but if you say so. Let’s just head out on our own. This prison air is suffocating enough.” 

I exchanged a glance with Channing and he had his lips pursed in a way that meant ‘I warned you before.’

It made me sigh immediately as I turned around to exit the prison grounds while Channing and Hailey followed me. I can already imagine how tough this trip is going to be. Handling Hailey was going to be an experience of a lifetime. For some reason, Hailey was acting more comfortably around me; not showing me her bloodlust side but this provoking one.

How in the world all the Warchilds were as good as kids! Fang was the worst and the most wicked kid, while Channing was the innocent and stupid kid and now this Hailey! 

There was one more Warchild left for me to meet and I hoped he or she was not like these three. 

When we exited the prison facility, I turned to Hailey, who was fiddling with the silver metal collar around her neck. I could understand how that felt like, I had it once on me and it was as good as a walking prison for the wolf inside. But it was the safest thing for me or god knew when she would feel like she wanted to brawl with me. Even though I wouldn’t deny the fact that last time she had defeated me in her human form and was strong enough just the way she was. 

The fear on her face of having the collar around her neck was missing. Only the fact that it irritated her neck was showing. 

I cleared my throat, breaking my train of thoughts, “Where do you live, Hailey?” 

“Why?” came her immediate reply. 

“Because,” I drawled on my words, “we need to pack up for the trip. It is going to be a long ride and we don’t know how long it will take.” Hailey still looked at me with a blank face. It was so hard to see through what went in her head but it felt like she wasn’t convinced by my words. “I don’t think you want to go to your hometown in that prison outfit there,” I tried to convince. 

Hailey looked down and hummed, “well what’s the use for me to change the prison outfit if they see the silver collar.” 

“Just get your bag packed!” I almost snapped at her. 

There was a slow grin that spread across Hailey’s lips, “you get worked up on small things too easily, Selene.” She walked ahead to meet me eye to eye, confidence and arrogance oozing from every pore of her skin. “I can find out Zelda in a few hours. I don’t need change.” 

I stared at her, not backing away with my gaze as well. She was forgetting the fact that she couldn’t intimidate me. I was an Alpha and I had my own prowess. 

“You seem to be too confident,” I mocked her and her lips twisted in amusement. This girl was purely a female version of Fang, except for the fact that she had the cold-blooded qualities of an assassin. It somewhere made me feel that Fang was a little better person. The thought of having a supporting thought for Fang immediately had me crease me brows. “You know what, Hailey, just pack up. It is pretty possible that the Cermesi clan thinks you are dead,” I said. 

Hailey’s smile dropped from her face, “They do not think their princess is weak!” She stepped closer to me till I could feel her infuriated breath on my skin, “Are you trying to imply I am a weak heir?” 

She surely was possessive about the position of clan heir for someone who left it behind just to come here to Winterwells. 

“You haven’t visited them in a long time,” I said in a pitiful tone, “It wasn’t like you kept a tab on what went around there. Now Zelda has returned before you, they are sure to think you as dead and if not, your dear elder sister will help you with it.” 

Hailey squinted hard at me before I heard her teeth clench as her jaw tightened, “The clan can take care of itself, as for Zelda she was never capable of that seat. Father would never hand it to her.” 

Channing saw the boiling environment between us and immediately pulled me away from Hailey. 

He looked at me, disappointed at the fact that I had answered Hailey back instead of calming her down. Channing turned to Hailey as she looked at him with irritation smeared on her face, “If you are so concerned about being the Cermesi princess, then you shouldn’t have stayed here.” On Channing’s words, Hailey snickered while her eyes met mine. 

“Oh come on Channing, I stayed here for your safety,” Hailey said, raising her brows in pity. 

Channing clicked his tongue, “I could protect myself well enough. All you stayed here was for hooking up with Fang from time to time and then for the thrill of fighting strong opponents.” I looked at Channing, shocked on hearing this. I knew for a fact that Hailey and Fang were physical for a while but how could Channing let Hailey stay in Winterwells when he knew toxic she was for this village. I turned to look at him but he did not take his eyes off Hailey. 

Hailey clicked her tongue, grabbing my attention, “Channing, darling, I never broke any rules in here. Everything happened right under your nose.” 

Channing was about to reply when I raised my hand, “Just stop you guys! We have other things to be looking into then bring back the past.” Channing kept quiet immediately while Hailey gave me a knowing smirk. I had understood what she was trying to do. Hailey had a habit of provoking people on purpose and she had successfully provoked me and Channing in just a few minutes. Luckily, we took care of each other or she would have surely waited for a fight to break out here. 

Channing brought his attention to me and said in an irritated tone, “I hope you know how to take care of this girl, Selene. Don’t make me regret letting her go for you.” 

He huffed and left the scene as I saw his retreating figure and sighed. This was indeed going to be more difficult than what I had thought. 

“Your boyfriend seems angry at you,” Hailey said while keeping her hand on my shoulder in a familiar way. 

I glared at her and she shrugged. I wiggled her hand off my shoulder, “He is not my boyfriend. Come on, let’s head to Greenland, I have an extra set of clothes.” It would be just stupid to try to convince her to bring her clothes along. She might just start getting me riled up again. 

Hailey sighed, “I don’t think I can go with prison outfit to my clan.” 

It made a nerve pop in my head. That is exactly what I had told her a while back when she had denied and made a fuss out of it. “Then let’s go to your house first.” 

“The landlord has locked my apartment. I hadn’t paid the rent for three months now,” she said casually, as if I would help her get her apartment back. I could not afford the rent for my condo if my father had not bought it. Hailey looked at me expectantly. 

I simply rolled my eyes, “I will lend you something.” 

It immediately made Hailey click her tongue, “You are very boring. I guess I will make Fang buy me some good clothes when we meet.” 

Like that would happen. I would not be surprised if Fang brought her an entire store. After all, she was once his muse. “Sure, till then, wear what I offer you or come in your prison outfit.” 

Hailey walked beside me as I started heading towards my house. “Whatever, I just have to wear them for a few hours before Fang comes to my rescue.” 

How much had Fang actually spoiled her that she could think that she could get his stuff, even when they had seen each other for years now. I walked ahead for a few more steps when her words properly registered in my mind. My steps immediately came to a halt, “What do you mean by a few hours?” 

Hailey casually raise her eyebrows, “I called him to accompany us, of course. He wanted to help you with all his heart-” 

“Why would you do that!” I exclaimed, and Hailey just innocently stared back at me. 

“Didn’t you ask me to take care of him?” Hailey replied. 

I grunted lowly before stomping ahead as Hailey followed close. This was just getting worse than what I had expected of it. There was simply no use in getting on Hailey’s nerves or letting her get on my nerves. I could take care of things when they mess up. The only fear I had was Fang finding out about the move which Channing had made on me and waging a war on Winterwells. 

“Woah, look at how much you are afraid right now of being caught by Fang about Channing,” Hailey provoked me. 

I just rolled my eyes as I head towards my house with anger fuming inside me. Hailey was an important component in helping solve this case. I had to take care of her as well as prevent Fang from reacting big for what Channing had done.. I had no doubts that Fang would ask for some price in return.