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“Yes, it does. It’s a pity some of us don’t have men saving us at every corner.” Her voice was tight, and her tone lacked the characteristic smugness. Despite her slight jab, I knew I had won this round.

“What can I say? The goddess looks out for me. It’s why she brought me back even after I was wrongly accused.”

“I knew you looked familiar from the first day I saw you,” Elder John commented, and I smiled at him, making a comment about the time we ran into each other in front of the library.

“Did you ever find the person that set her up? I think they should be severely punished,” Elder Gideon said, and a few others agreed with him.

“I did. I’m still trying to figure out the best punishment for them,” Griffin answered, not taking his eyes off Lilith.

Lilith was as pale as a ghost, and I could tell she was regretting her actions. I wasn’t expecting a court so deep in the ways ofhierarchy to be so receptive toward my story, but I guess some of them still had a bit of humanity in them and could connect to deep emotions.

I returned my gaze to Victor who was watching me with a look I couldn’t place and gave him a smile, which he returned before coming to sit next to me.

The hunting competition, which was the final part of the ceremony, started, and Victor had to leave after getting a good luck kiss from me.

Victor and Griffin are required to hunt the same prey as a sign of their current situation, while other members of the noble family pick one of their choosing.

When the picks were made and everyone was stationed in their positions, we were taken to the top of the palace, where we had a clear vision of what was happening on the field. Elder Gideon gave the final order for hunting to start.

Part of the rules was for the competitors to remain in their human form and refrain from using their wolf to exert dominance to make sure the winner won fair and square. So, it was easy for me to know who was who.

Victor took off before Griffin, chasing after the squirrel that was set loose for them. The goal was to capture the animal alive and unharmed. Harming of the prey would result in immediate disqualification.

I didn’t notice Griffin take off, but he was suddenly ahead of Victor, dashing towards the squirrel at an almost supernatural speed.

“Is he using his wolf?” I queried, shocked by the speed and litheness of his movements.

“Not at all, dear,” Lady Sheila replied, watching him with awe. “Prince Griffin has been the fastest in the pack. He is also one of our strongestwarriors.”

The admiration in her voice was very palpable, and I couldn’t help but return my gaze to him. The other competitors faded as I focused my gaze on him, watching how he easily jumped over fallen trees and swung between branches with ease.

My wolf was swooning and cheering like a teenage girl, and I couldn’t fault her. Even I was a hair’s breadth from getting on my feet and cheering for him.

I watched with anticipation as he closed in on the prey, my heart thudding in my chest and waiting for him to capture it.

Just as he reached for the squirrel, Victor materialized from thin air, diving for the prize at the same time and butting heads with Griffin. The crowd gasped following their collision.

Victor keeled over in pain while Griffin showed no sign of discomfort, focusing on making sure the squirrel was unharmed. I was up on my feet and running into the field before I could stop myself.

When I took off from my spot, the name in my heart was Griffin, but as I drew near, I knew the person I had to run to was Victor.

It pained me to watch him standing with the squirrel in his hand and blood dripping from the spot where he collided with Victor, but there was nothing I could do for him.

I ran over to Victor who had successfully freed himself from the branch, squatting next to him and cupping his face in my palms.

“Are you okay?” I queried, my voice shaking and my lips trembling. I could only hope that Griffin would somehow figure out that my question was directed at him instead.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Griffin

“Are you okay?” She asked, her voice heavy with concern as she fussed all over him while I stood there, prize in hand. But I didn’t feel like a winner. In fact, I felt like the worst of losers.

He lifted himself, resting an arm on her shoulders, and flashed me a small grin. The bastard did this on purpose.

Victor might not be the best warrior, but I noticed he was intentionally slowing himself during the hunt. I figured he must have some trick up his sleeves and doubled my efforts, aiming for the prey with eagle eyes.

I could sense him increase his speed as I closed in on the prey, and the next I knew, he was diving for my head. From a different angle, it might appear as though he was aiming for theprey, but he wasn’t. He intentionally brought his nose to my head, tripping himself on my feet and falling over.