SMACK!

Merek held the left side of his face, his eyes wide in shock.

Lucien and the exhausted Lysara stared at him, stunned, while Garrick was already panicking.

"It seems I have been a little too lenient, Young Master Merek," Theo said calmly, flexing the hand he had just used to slap the guy.

"I respect it when you interject in between decisions and ask; that’s a good habit. But insulting me is another matter. That, I cannot let slide."

Merek was at a loss for words. The kid who was at least four years younger than him had just slapped him.

"...You dare hit me...?" The man spoke with a horrified yet angry expression.

"Just wait until we get back. I will show you what I can do, Theo Merrick," he spat on the ground, glaring as he spoke.

Lucien opened his mouth to intervene, but Theo decided to take things in his hands.

"Good. Now get up and do your job better."

With that, Theo turned to Lysara, who seemed slightly better now.

He offered her his hand, which she took immediately, still speechless.

"Put your wolf in the beast space. We will mark this location and head back with the extracted beast," Theo said, pulling Lysara up in smooth motion.

She tried to steady herself, but her balance faltered again. Theo quickly caught her by the waist to keep her upright.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Theo, and when he met her gaze, she turned her face away.

"We can wait if you’re unable to walk, Miss Lysara," he said.

She shook her head and slowly moved away.

By then, Merek had already stored his beast inside the beast space. Theo returned to Lucien and the reptilian creature.

"Its tail might be an issue while we carry it back, Elder Brother Lucien," Theo said with a thoughtful gaze.

Lucien glanced at him, about to speak, but stopped when he noticed Merek nearby.

"I can have my panther hold the tail still until we return," he said instead.

"Alright then." Theo went to the creature, which was still trying to struggle. He clamped both hands over its jaws before lifting its upper body while Lucien grabbed the lower half.

The panther went and bit down on the tail once, then held it upright with a firm grip.

Merek watched them handle the beast, the one that had nearly killed his own, with bitter eyes. His gaze then shifted to Theo, anger simmering beneath the surface. He clenched his jaw so tightly that his whole jawline sharpened, making him look ten times better.

Their return journey took about twenty minutes.

When Clara, Elias, Cassian and Kaelor saw Theo and Lucien carrying the beast, they reacted instantly.

Clara and Elias dropped the butchering knives in their hands at once and without hesitation rushed over.

Their eyes moved to the beast, its open eyes, and then to Theo, who had a serious expression on his face.

"Where should we keep this one?" Theo asked out loud.

Kaelor scanned the area, then pointed to a corner on the right.

Theo gave him a brief nod and a faint smile before carrying the beast over and setting it down.

Once they were done, things turned a bit silent for the group.

Everyone could see that Lysara was exhausted, still catching her breath. Merek, on the other hand, wore an expression which made it clear that something was wrong.

"You," Merek said sharply, his tone commanding. "I want you to find that exit gate as soon as possible. Don’t rely on this guy."

His words made everyone turn, confusion flickering across their faces.

Theo let out a deep sigh and stepped forward, only for Lucien to place a hand on his shoulder.

He glanced back to see Lucien’s eyes clearly saying, "NO", making Theo smile faintly.

"Young Master Merek, why do you not trust me? I have been in a gate before," Theo said calmly.

The moment Theo spoke so casually, it was as if a vein popped in Merek’s head.

"You... I will...!" Merek was about to say something but stopped when he saw that knowing smile on Theo’s face.

It was the kind of smile that looked like Theo was just waiting for an excuse to hit him again.

Merek fell silent and turned away, heading toward the hut without another word.

An awkward silence settled over the camp. Even the beast nearby remained still, no longer trying to struggle.

"Theo, come here," Lucien said, already walking toward the woods.

Theo watched him for a few seconds, then glanced at the others.

"I will be back soon, everyone. We will have a meeting then," he said with a light smile, as if nothing was wrong, before following Lucien.

"Did something happen out there?" Kaelor asked Lysara and Garrick, who stood on the side.

_____

When Lucien felt like they were far enough from the camp, he stopped and turned to his brother, a frown on his face.

"Theo, I will ask you clearly, what made you think that was a good idea?" Lucien asked, his voice firm, one he hadn’t used with Theo in a long time.

Theo held his gaze for a few seconds before sighing. "You were right there, Elder Brother. You saw him disrespect me directly."

"I won’t tolerate anything like that when I have been appointed as the leader."

Lucien didn’t know what to say to his brother when he had such a mature look on his face right now.

"He is from a Viscount family. To slap a noble of that stature... I think you have made an enemy for life, Theo..."

Lucien said as he ruffled the back of his head, like he simply couldn’t believe what was happening at the moment.

His good brother had just hit a noble, and for the first time in a long time, Lucien felt like Theo had done something really bad.

"He can try being my enemy all he wants, Elder Brother," Theo replied steadily. "Right now, all I see is the mission and that he refuses to respect the one person he needs to."

When Theo said that, the frown on Lucien’s face only deepened.

"You really aren’t meant for leadership..."