Chapter 160: _Pile Of Red Flags Elian’s POV
"What do you mean someone tried poisoning you?" Lucian barked from his seat, getting up with his hands placed firmly on the table. "And what’s with the accusatory tone?" Elian subconsciously held his breath when the air in the dining room dropped rapidly, so much so that a layer of frost began spreading across the dining table. Kyren’s eyes shone colder than the frost, his gaze locked on Lucian and Axel. "Because, Alpha Prince, you two are the only ones in this dining room with me. Aside from Elian, who couldn’t have possibly been responsible." [Come on, come on... get to the juicy part!] "But... how do you know someone tried poisoning you?" Axel asked with a clipped tone, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. "And it could be any of your staff for all you know." Kyren didn’t answer him. Instead, he raised a finger, drawing in a single breath. Suddenly, the wine he’d spilt on the floor rose into the air in the form of droplets. Those droplets soon formed a seamless trail of liquid, hovering under Kyren’s control. With a flick of his wrist, the wine trail became sharper than a spear and bolted at Elian’s steak. Once the liquid spear pierced through the steak and dripped into it... It didn’t take long for something unsettling to happen.
"What do you mean someone tried poisoning you?" Lucian barked from his seat, getting up with his hands placed firmly on the table. "And what’s with the accusatory tone?" Elian subconsciously held his breath when the air in the dining room dropped rapidly, so much so that a layer of frost began spreading across the dining table. Kyren’s eyes shone colder than the frost, his gaze locked on Lucian and Axel. "Because, Alpha Prince, you two are the only ones in this dining room with me. Aside from Elian, who couldn’t have possibly been responsible." [Come on, come on... get to the juicy part!] "But... how do you know someone tried poisoning you?" Axel asked with a clipped tone, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. "And it could be any of your staff for all you know." Kyren didn’t answer him. Instead, he raised a finger, drawing in a single breath. Suddenly, the wine he’d spilt on the floor rose into the air in the form of droplets. Those droplets soon formed a seamless trail of liquid, hovering under Kyren’s control. With a flick of his wrist, the wine trail became sharper than a spear and bolted at Elian’s steak. Once the liquid spear pierced through the steak and dripped into it... It didn’t take long for something unsettling to happen.
The steak began rotting rapidly, shrivelling up and blackening like it was being burned from the inside out.
When it was all over, a little ashen smoke even puffed out of it, as if the steak was giving its last breath.
[Welp. Someone was trying to make you an early widower.]
"Should I extract the wine and give one of you next for prosperity?" Kyren sneered with a sarcastic smirk. "Peace talks my royal ass! The Alpha King sent one of you, didn’t he?"
Lucian’s face was still scrunched with a plethora of emotions after what he just witnessed but Axel spoke up, the voice of reason as always.
"This is no mere coincidence, Lord Kyren. I’m not trying to defend whatever it is you have against our Alpha King—"
"Oh, you mean the fact that he’s a scheming bastard who I should’ve ripped before the whole continent by now?" Kyren sniggered, folding his arms in front of his chest.
Lucian scoffed, his eyebrows knitting. "Really? I guess scheming runs in the heads of all you rulers."
Elian frowned, half trying to pretend like he wasn’t in the room while trying to figure out the cause of the tension between Lucian and Kyren.
[Other than the fact that one of your mates might’ve just tried to poison the rogue king? Or the fact that they have to share you?]
’Besides all that. And no, I doubt any of them would try killing Kyren. Lucian would at least be the type to punch him in the face up front.’
[True. Not to mention, Daddy Axel doesn’t have any visible reasons to do that. He’s always respected you having other mates more than anyone.]
’I’m sure it’ll come to light. Now shh...’
"Again, Alpha Prince. If you have anything you want to tell me just say it." Kyren scoffed, tilting his head. "Better yet, say it while we’re all here. You’ve already tried to poison me. What will a few words do?"
Lucian didn’t say anything at first, his face cold and detached. His silver eyes were focused on Kyren for a few seconds—until they weren’t, flicking to Elian.
"You sure you want me to say it before ALL of us?" Lucian leaned across the table, drumming his fingers calmly.
There was a calculating glint in his eyes.
One that Elian has grown quite used to these past few days.
. "If you don’t want to say anything, then that’s fine." Kyren shrugged, placing his hands slowly on the table and leaning in. "But just know I will not let this slide. Someone has to pay for trying to kill me."
Lucian smirked. "We’ll get to that. But since you insist, I’ll mention what I’ve been meaning to say... Lord Kyren."
His eyes landed on Elian one last time, causing the latter to freeze with unease.
He had a hunch that whatever Lucian was about to sputter out of his mouth wouldn’t be pretty.
[And it might end up adding to the ever-increasing pile of red flags Daddy Kyren has. But knowing your kink for toxic men, that probably won’t change things, right?]
"Lord Kyren..." Lucian began, clearing his throat for dramatic effect. "Did you or did you not use spies to capture Estella and Magnus from Lunarian soil, hence breaching border laws that have been in place for centuries?"
Elian’s eyes widened the second those words landed.
Well... that wasn’t what he had in mind at all.
[It would’ve been hotter if he killed someone. Sigh... oh well.]
’When is killing someone ever hot you deranged mind bot?’ Elian snapped mentally at the system at the same moment that Kyren laughed derisively.
"You mean the two fugitives your empire was after? Who captured my mate?"
"Our mate, Kyren." Lucian banged a palm on the table, glaring daggers at the rogue king. "You will not belittle my importance in his life."
Kyren chuckled, but didn’t seem amused in the slightest. "Importance? You assume you had any to begin with."
Elian’s mind was reeling while his mates broke out into an argument.
Kyren had his men sneak into Lunaria and abduct Estella and Magnus.
Now that he thought about it, the first explosion that rocked the building that day while he and Aurora were captive hadn’t come from Lucian or Axel.
If Elian was being honest... he didn’t mind at all that Kyren captured them. Those bastards deserved worse, and he sure as heck didn’t flinch knowing Kyren killed Magnus.
But... lying?
Kyren had told them all Estella and Magnus snuck into the Dark Lands. He manipulated the narrative to his favour and never even considered putting him in the loop.
Yes, it might seem like such a small issue. A non-issue, maybe.
But imagine Kyren keeping bigger lies from him? What if the Rogue king tries to manipulate other things?
[That coming from the guy who easily has the biggest secret in Evaros...]
Elian closed his eyes for a moment, his mind coming back to the noise of his mates arguing.
He couldn’t handle this anymore.
Without saying anything, he got to his feet, the scrape of the chair on the marble finally putting a stop to the argument.
"Elian?" Axel called out with worry.
"Little flame, what is it?"
Elian looked through all their faces. But he sighed, shaking his head.
"I was delusional thinking this could be an opportunity for you three to get along."
With that, he turned, walking away from the dining table.
[Wrong direction, boo.]
He paused, clenching his fists and grunting softly before spinning on his heels and waltzing toward the opposite direction, ignoring their gazes.