CHAPTER 50>>>>>>pure blooded breed of wolves.

She finally got to the table and settled in, even if her heart was racing in her chest.

Sitting side by side with Brevin and Dominus? That was enough gossip to hold the kitchen down for a whole week if this ever got out.

Moments after she was seated, Brevin wouldn’t stop staring at her.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her toes curling against the cold floor while her eyes darted around the room rather than looking at either of the men.

Dominus smirked faintly, his gaze softening at her nervousness. “It’s fine, Nia. Come on and eat with us.”

She bit down on her bottom lip tightly, shoving herself to settle in while still trying not to look at their faces.

But the smell of the meal filled her nostrils—roasted meats mixed with seafood, vegetables, and desserts. Immediately, her eyes caught the oysters, and her mouth began to water. It was one of her favorites.

She couldn’t even fathom the last time she had eaten a meal as good as this one. Slaves weren't allowed such good food.

After a long drag of silence, she finally swallowed the lump in her throat before reaching for the spoon.

She was the last to start eating; after she arrived, Brevin didn’t wait. He grabbed a hunk of roasted meat with his bare hands before tearing into it. Even with his mouth full, he was still reaching for another piece. Meanwhile, Dominus didn’t take his eyes off Nia for a second.

Even if it felt like he wasn’t looking, he was staring at her discreetly.

He watched as she dipped her spoon into the sauce, absently stirring it in slow circles and not once lifting it to her lips.

For a couple of minutes, she wasn’t eating. She just sat there, stirring the sauce.

“Oysters are better eaten with hot sauce,” Dominus said, snapping her attention from the absent-minded stirring. She paused for a moment, her lashes staying low and shadowing her expression.

However, Brevin didn’t notice anything. He reached for his goblet, washing down his mouthful with wine before pointing a greasy finger at her. “Nia, are you just going to sit there and play with that, or are you actually going to eat it before it gets cold?”

Akira flinched at his words, her thumb and index finger twitching nervously. The idea of eating side by side with the two of them just didn’t sit right with her.

After a few moments of watching, Dominus finally picked up his spoon and started to eat the sauce slowly.

Though his gaze kept sliding back to her, he didn’t know how much more to convince her to eat; he felt he had done his best.

Brevin, who had been secretly observing the two, finally raised his gaze to his brother. He snorted around a mouthful of food. “You keep watching her like that, and you’re going to scare her to death with those eyes of yours!”

Dominus didn’t even glance his way. His eyes stayed on her until, slowly, she lifted the spoon and brought it to her lips.

With the first taste of the sauce, her body betrayed her. The moment the sauce touched her tongue, her eyes went half-closed, and her tense shoulders loosened slightly.

Dominus smirked faintly, catching the subtle shift but not letting her see that he noticed.

With that, she slowly reached for the oysters, her favorite. Dominus watched as she filled her mouth with the oysters mixed with sauce. A deep sense of satisfaction filled his chest merely from watching her eat.

Dominus leaned back slightly in his chair, resting an elbow on the table. He didn’t speak, didn’t move—he just watched, filled with pure admiration. Something primal in him had finally calmed.

Each time she took another bite, his chest grew lighter; it was a strange, quiet satisfaction. Brevin was still eating noisily, oblivious, while Dominus felt the world narrowing to the sound of her spoon softly clinking against the plate as she gently ate her oysters.

Her pace was still hesitant, but she was eating now, and that was enough for him.

Akira didn’t look up, but she felt the weight of Dominus’s gaze. For some reason, it didn’t make her nervous this time. She was getting more comfortable, even though she had lots of questions to ask him: How did she end up in his bed? How did she get naked? Who stripped her?

Just as she reached for another oyster, a knock on the door grabbed their attention.

Dominus’s expression darkened instantly, the quiet satisfaction draining from his face.

The door opened slowly, and Captain Zain made his way inside.

Once he entered, he froze at the sight of Akira with the two princes.

“What happened, Zain?” Dominus’s impatient voice broke the silence.

Zain hesitated. “It’s… some slaves in the slave quarters seem to be the pure-blooded breed of wolf.”

Dominus’s entire body went still; he sat up at once, turning to Zain. “How did you know that?”

Zain’s eyes shuffled from Akira’s shocked expression to Brevin’s curious smirk. “We found some blood-stained beds in the slave quarters.”

Dominus’s brows furrowed. “What’s that got to do with anything?” he asked, turning to Brevin, who quickly wiped his greasy hands on a cloth.

“That means one of the slaves is a pure-blooded alpha. The kind of alpha the shaman said might heal Father if we make him a blood host.”

Dominus’s gaze flicked briefly to Akira, as if reluctant to leave her sitting there. Then, with a sharp exhale, he turned back to Zain. “I will be there right now. Have they fished out the slave?”

Zain’s eyes flicked to Akira, and her heart sank into her stomach. “Not yet. We’re still on it, but Madam Estelle asked that you be informed first.”

“Good. I will be there,” he said, and Zain bowed out, quickly shutting the door behind him.

Akira shifted nervously in her seat, thinking about how they found the bed or the blood-stained cloths. Beth promised everything was under control. *What’s happening?*

“So what does this mean for us? Does it mean that the Alpha will be healed?” Dominus asked, packing up his spoon.

“Not really, but it’s going to subside and make him a little more normal again, just as the shaman said. So I’d say let’s keep our fingers crossed and be very hopeful.”

Brevin leaned back in his chair, licking the last of the sauce from his thumb before grabbing his goblet again.

“Relax, brother,” he said casually, swirling the wine before taking another long sip. “You heard Zain. They haven’t even found the slave yet. Rushing there won’t make them find the culprit faster. We could go after we’re done with breakfast.”

Dominus quickly wiped his hands and pushed back his chair, ignoring his brother.

Brevin shrugged. “I think you should at least finish your wine. Whatever they found isn’t running away.”

Dominus turned a sharp look at him. “This isn’t about wine, Brevin. If what Zain says is true, then there’s a chance Father’s madness can be controlled. I’m not about to sit here and waste time. Go on and have the whole jug of wine to yourself.”

Akira’s stomach knotted, her eyes darting toward the door Dominus had just walked through. She needed to get out of here to see Beth. She hadn’t seen her since last night.

The two sat in silence, the only sounds being the noise of eating. Akira felt more comfortable eating side by side with Brevin.

Moments later, Brevin cleared his throat. “So, what happened to you?”

Akira’s spoon stilled halfway to her lips. She didn’t answer. Instead, she lifted her eyes to him briefly—her glare sharp enough to send the message that she wasn’t ready to speak about what he was asking her.

Brevin blinked at her reaction, his brows arching. “We have to eat fast so I can go join my brother.”

She lowered her gaze again, ignoring him. The silence between them stretched, only broken by the clinking of his goblet as he poured himself more wine.

“Why do they need the pure-blooded breed of wolves?” Akira finally asked.

Brevin’s eyes narrowed as he contemplated telling her. He wasn’t sure if it was right to share, but he decided to go ahead—she was just a curious slave.

Brevin’s smile faded, and he dropped his goblet. “You’ve never heard of the feral Alpha king?”

She shook her head in pretense. “No, I haven’t. Just rumors and baseless talks.”

“Well, the rumors are all true. The king went feral years ago. They need a pure-blooded breed of wolves to make his blood host, so as to subdue him and make him normal again. If it doesn’t make him normal, then it just buys us time until we find his fated mate.”

“Fated mate?” Akira blinked. “How’s that possible? He is tied up in a cage every day. How is he supposed to find his fated mate from there?”

Brevin stared at her closely before leaning back in his chair. “How do you know he’s in a cage? Have you seen the beast before?”

Akira sat up at once, lying. “Of course not. How is that even possible? I haven’t seen him. I heard it from the other slaves.”

“So what if he never finds his mate?”

Brevin gave her a cold stare. “Then he dies.”

“And if he finds his mate, does the person become Luna with him?”

Brevin almost burst out laughing but held himself back. As absurd as it sounded, he had never thought of it that way—that once his father found his fated mate, the person would automatically become the Luna of the pack. And that brought him to the thought of having a new stepmother.

“I’m sorry… I don’now that, Nia.”

Akira’s jaw clenched at his evasiveness, but before she could press further, Brevin jumped down from his seat.

“Enough of questions, Nia. Eat up and leave whenever you’re done. I need to go now to catch up with what is happening.”

With that, Brevin left the room, gently shutting the door behind him.