The laughter subsided, and Fenris looked at them with not a bit of displeasure or anger. He was all smiles.

“I didn’t expect you to kill her so soon, Morningstar. I thought she would create some difficulties for you before you take this action.” He said.

“But you killed her without giving her any opportunities to make troubles for you. I am really impressed.” He nodded and chuckled.

“State your business, Lord Fenris.” Viara asked seriously. She didn’t show it, but she cursed herself for acting on her impulse back then.

Fenris nodded apologetically and then looked at the people present in the room before sinking back in his seat.

“20 years ago, when your Empress was born, Darius Ka’zaed had come to Velrich to see me.” He looked at Aizen and smiled as he said so.

“He had come to propose a deal to me. He wanted something from me, and he had something that I still need.” He paused before looking at Viara and continuing.

“There were people who wondered why your parents had waited for a thousand years to finally have children. Your Bloodline was about to end after the war, and instead of reproducing more, the surviving Ka’zaed blood had eventually passed away one by one, and only one son had his legacy to continue.”

“They didn’t seem worried that their Bloodline would end one day. A pack of wolves that would no longer have an Alpha. The entire world really believed that they had just given up all hopes, and the Star Palace would soon fall down.”

“But the entire world was fooled. Their Alpha was yet to be born or maybe he had always been there?” He looked at Aizen and his eyes were curious. “I wonder if you would tell me, what kind of method your Mother used to preserve you, Morningstar?”

Aizen didn’t answer his question and only smiled at him palely.

Fenris no longer lingered on his curiosity as he turned his attention back to Viara. “Have you ever wondered why you are so powerful even at such a young age?”

Viara frowned at his words and waited for him to continue.

“It’s because your husband’s surviving sisters had stored their essences in the sacrificial stars before they died, and your Father had used them when you were in your Mother’s womb. It was the same for your little sister. Am I right?” He looked at Aizen as he questioned.

The shock was not only on Viara’s face but also on the faces of women who had come with Fenris. To give up the essence meant that they committed suicide.

Viara dazedly looked at Aizen and saw him not deny or affirm the words of Fenris. But she understood that it was the truth.

“Their plan was to provide their Alpha with powerful Queens, and for the same reason Darius had come to me that day.” Fenris finally saw curiosity in Aizen’s eyes and felt satisfied.

“Lycans are Monster Blood and are wolves the same as you. Only, we are slightly bigger in size.” He chuckled as he said so and continued. “Like every supreme Monster, the Alpha of Lycan clan has Spirit Manipulation ability, and our clan is famous for the Death Glare.”

Aizen really felt uncomfortable at the mention of this ability. Even though not every Lycan possessed it, it was true that every Alpha did indeed possess this ability. The chances of Death Glare eradicating your soul were very low, but together with Spirit Manipulation, it was a real danger. However, Aizen still looked in the eyes of Fenris as he did before and didn’t seem to be fazed.

“Female Alphas are rarely born in our Lycan Bloodline, but they do appear from time to time. Our Pack has always been patriarchal and the Female Alphas are to be married to the Future or present Alpha of the Clan. And sometimes they are used as a political chip and married off to other clans.”

“Darius had come asking for my 2-year-old daughter that day. He wanted the child to be the Shadow of your Empress.” Fenris stopped there and laughed mockingly. “Laughable isn’t it? How you Ka’zaed Blood look down on every other Bloodline. Of course, I didn’t know that he was asking for the Shadow of the Future Empress of the Star Palace. No one could have known that. He didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t agree to Darius’ demand that night. A few years later, somehow, he found an Arzark to be his daughter’s Shadow.” Fenris regrettably sighed.

Aizen no longer looked at Fenris, and his eyes were now locked on the girl who had resentment surfacing in her eyes again. He got the gist of why Fenris had come here today.

“Do you really think that you will be able to get what you are here for tonight?” He asked as he looked at the smug looking Fenris.

“You didn’t even ask what I am here for. So it seems that you do have the thing that I want.” Fenris nodded to himself and looked back at him.

“She’s Yuliya Lycan, the only Female Alpha of the clan, and the one Darius had come asking for that day.”

“She’s yours if you give me the sacrificial essence of the True Origin Lycan that Darius left in your possession.”

Aizen was surprised to find out that Fenris only wanted the Essence of the True Origin Lycan. But soon understood what Fenris really wanted. It was the Ability of that Lycan that Fenris was really after. He was curious as to what ability that Lycan possessed that Fenris was so eager to acquire it.

“I do not need a shadow anymore, and there’s no need for her in the Star Palace.” Viara clenched her fists as she tried to keep her anger in her heart.

“I want her.” Aizen said lightly as he looked at Yuliya and playfully smiled.

He could feel the restlessness in Liafina’s heart at his decision. Her feelings were trying to tell him to not do so, but he ignored them. He held her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Viara looked at him in disbelief. Yuliya was no longer a 2-year-old child that could be brought up and formed bonds with to have her loyal to Star Palace. She was already 22 years old and was an Alpha. Her rebellious nature could possibly not have her loyal to anyone, not even to her own father.

Aizen planted a light kiss on her forehead and nodded to her assuredly. Viara really regretted acting on her impulsion back then. Fenris hadn’t said so but if they didn’t comply with him tonight then he would definitely inform the Leon Clan, and they would wage a war on the Star Palace.

They didn’t fear to be on war with them, but the people who would jump on the bandwagon and confront the Star Palace taking it as an excuse would really put the family in danger.

She thought for a moment about just giving Fenris the essence and not taking Yuliya in return but then thought of what Aizen had said. He wanted her. Even though he knew that she was possibly a spy and could harm the family, he wanted her. She was mad at him but couldn’t confront him in front of other people.

Aizen drew his hand to her and Viara took out the Essence that Fenris wanted and handed it to him. He observed the violet essence inside the small vial and then sent it to Fenris.

Fenris lightly caught it and nodded in satisfaction after observing it for a while.

“You have no idea what this means to me, Morningstar.” He said sincerely “I am really grateful to you.”

“It’s a deal, Lord Fenris. Not a favor.” Aizen lightly said and waved his hand. He looked at Yuliya and gestured to her to leave her seat and stand by his side. She looked at him scornfully but complied.

“If that’s all then you may take your leave now.” He said to Fenris in an uninterested voice.

“Of course, but before I take my leave, I would like to express my good faith to you.” Fenris said and lightly smiled. “Don’t you want to know why I didn’t accept Darius’s offer that night?”

It was not that Aizen wasn’t interested in it. He knew that his love for his daughter wasn’t the reason that he hadn’t accepted the offer back then. But he felt uneasy to have Fenris stay for long.

“There was something that I wanted just as much as this essence, and for that, I didn’t even have to hand over an asset of my clan.” He said and continued. “There was a treasure in the hands of Azereus Clan. A treasure that made your Monster Blood strengthen and purer, and contained the Power of Space.”

“Azereus kept it a secret from the world until 25 years ago when they decided to trade it for something else. Do you know why they did so?”

“The two prime Alphas killed each other in a duel over the sole control of the Clan. A war broke out in the Elders assembly and several died. The strength of the clan dramatically decreased. The Sky Mountain was eyed by other monster clans as a target that could now be acquired, and so war was about to break out.”

“Azereus put forward that treasure as a reward in order to gain the support of the clan who pledged to protect The Sky Mountain. I had reached the deal with them. After all, we are all Wolfkin.”

“I thought I wouldn’t need this essence if I got that treasure.” He said and sighed.

“I kept off the War for all these years. They took their time in gathering allies through marriage alliances and secretly used the Taboo methods to urgently increase the strength of their Clan.”

“But when they tried to marry off one of their princesses, she ran off with the treasure claiming that it didn’t belong to the clan but belonged to her Grandmother and they had no right to trade her or the treasure.”

“I was kept in dark for 12 years until she died and her Soul Mark vanished from The Sky Mountain. The treasure was lost now, and the clan didn’t know where it was. And they finally informed me as the deadline approached.”

Aizen had been listening to the story attentively all this time but his heart was long since in turmoil when Azereus was mentioned. He had tried his best to not show any expression on his face that would lead Fenris to speculate.

“That treasure actually belonged to your mother, Morningstar.” Fenris said with a smile.

Aizen looked at him in surprise, but it was all an act. He had long since figured out the story.

“I am not sure how one of their Alphas obtained it. No one in the Clan knew of it as well.”

Fenris apologetically said so and got up to take his leave.

“The princess that ran off with your Mother’s treasure only has a Little Sister left now. She’s just as talented and beautiful as her sister was.”

His words were playful, and he left after paying his respects.

Aizen got up from his seat and held Liafina’s hand as he walked out of the room.

“Follow me.” He told Yuliya.

He led her to the room she would be staying in and turned around to face her. Her eyes glared at him and still held resentment in them. It was as if she was warning him that if he thought of doing anything to her, she would kill him.

Aizen chuckled at her behavior and walked out of the room leaving some words that baffled her.

“Be grateful for I have saved your life. But now your life is mine, so resent me all you want.”

………………

When he arrived back in the living room, everyone had already been waiting for him.

“Aizen!” Viara finally couldn’t contain it. “Why did you accept that girl? You know that she’s not a child that can be raised to be loyal to us. Then why did you still accept her? You haven’t even put on a Slave mark on her!”

This was the question looming in the minds of everyone else as well. They all showed concern on their face.

“Don’t worry. Her loyalty does not lie with anyone.” He only said this and accepted Vienna in his embrace who walked to him. “The other reason why Fenris so easily handed over the Alpha to us was that she’s rebellious and would have harmed the future Alpha and even Fenris. She couldn’t be controlled by him and so he removed her from the pack. About the slave mark, I believe she will commit suicide before allowing us to do that. And there’s no need for it.”

He held Vienna tightly against him. His heart was restless and he needed to hold her in his arms. He didn’t want to make everyone more concerned than they already were and assuredly smiled at them.

“Only watch over her, Okay?” He looked at Viara and told her.

She blamed herself for everything that had happened today. They had been forced by Fenris because of her actions, and she was really upset about it. Aizen didn’t want her to take out her dissatisfaction on Yuliya.

“I want to leave for The Sky Mountain tomorrow. You will decide on who will be coming with me.” He gave her something to divert her attention.

“Isn’t that what Fenris wants you to do? He told you about the treasure so you would leave for The Sky Mountain. He definitely has some ulterior motives.” Viara looked at him worriedly and tried to advise him.

Aizen palely smiled at the mention of the treasure. “I am not going there for the treasure.” He said lightly. "There's no treasure."

“Elder brother, Take me to the room. I don’t want to have dinner tonight.” Vienna whispered from his embrace, and everyone present in the room heard it.

Aizen embarrassedly excused himself and walked out with Liafina and Vienna. Meera had followed them and the rest could only stay in the room and watch them leave. Ayana had her cheeks burning up, and it made Xeina wonder about what Meera had been teaching her lately.

It was not long after they arrived in his room that Vienna aggressively kissed him. She had felt his restlessness, and that was why she had brought him here. He felt really grateful for that and undressed her hastily. He undressed Meera and Liafina as well and threw them on his bed.

There was urgency in his loins, and they all welcomed his fierceness. The room was filled with gasps and moans, and their fray continued for hours. He ravished them all to his heart’s content until his restlessness and lust settled down.

The sweet ache of tiredness together with the warmth of their soft bodies and the sound of their gentle breaths pulled him into a blissful sleep.