THE LOVE OF A LYCAN

Chapter 562: The invitation

"Your hand." Carina said rigidly. She still didn't want to see the lycan right in his eyes, afraid the anger would force her to do something that she would regret later.

Without a word, Kace stretched his hand and put it under Carina's line of sight and without a single cue, Carina slashed her small knife on Kace's hand.

Hope gasped when she watched fresh blood spurted from Kace's opened wound. Her gut feeling told her that Carina must've done it on purpose. Because, she didn't need to cut Kace's hand so viciously to make such a deep wound when all she needed was only a drop or two from his blood.

"Don't you think that too much?!" Hope was half screaming at the female centaur as she hastily grabbed Kace's hand and pressed his opened wound, where his blood was dripping out.

Hope found out that she was not as sick as before when she saw blood, thanks to her life-and-death moment that she recently experienced, she became more resilient to something bloody like this.

"He will not die," Carina commented casually while Chiron didn't say anything and the sibling just knitted their brows, didn't seem happy to see another bloody scene.

Of course, Kace wouldn't die because of this cut, but it didn't mean he couldn't feel the pain, right?

Hope raised her head to see Kace's expression only to find his face was devoid from any emotion, not even the pain. The lycan didn't even flinch when Carina cut his hand.

"Does it hurt?" Hope asked in a low voice, her hand was still pressing the wound with the hem of her dress, because she couldn't find any clean towel or something similar that she could use to do the job.

"No," Kace glanced at his wound nonchalantly. The moment he said this, his wound started to heal, though it was slower than usual.

Despite that fact, Hope was still upset with what Carina did to Kace. She wiped the blood from his hand with her dress and when she finished, the wound had healed completely. Hope sighed in relief.

"Do you mean, if Kace died, Lana will die too?" Ian brought up the topic again. "And if Lana died, the same thing will happen to Kace?"

Hope's breath hitched when she heard that, as she set her eyes on Carina, waiting for her explanation.

"Since the lycan is the pivot of this vow, the same thing will not happen to him if this girl dies, but she will definitely die if he is greatly injured or if he dies," Carina replied.

Kace narrowed his eyes, he didn't know the vow that he took recklessly years ago, would be so serious. He should have known not to underestimate that witch.

"Why would she want to make a strange oath like that?" Ian frowned and stole a glance at Kace, but he couldn't bring himself to ask the question that was already on the tip of his tongue.

Of course, the answer was because; they wanted to keep Hope safe from a stranger who just joined their small 'family'.

However, Kace didn't say anything about this. His eyes fixed on Lana as he intertwined his fingers with Hope.

No one answered Ian's question and Ethan nudged him to stop talking, thus the chatter Ian didn't address another question.

There was a small movement from Lana, her eyelids fluttered and her brows knitted as though she was in discomfort.

"You can bring her back inside." Carina then stood up on her hooves and stepped back until she was beside Chiron.

For someone who said they were not mates, they shared the same vibe as if they were a lover.

"She will be fine for now," Carina looked away when she said this and found Chiron's eyes staring at her. Both of them were silent for a moment before the chief of the centaur nodded his head.

In tacit understanding, Carina walked back towards the other centaurs nearby to join them, who had been waiting since the beginning.

"Let me," Kace spoke all of sudden, as he let go of Hope's hand and stood up, taking Lana's body from Ian.

"It's okay, I will…" Ian glanced at Hope, who was also confused with Kace's sudden act.

"Show the way," Kace said sternly. "Hope, stay with me." He carried Lana in his arms, but he didn't let Hope out of his sight too.

The weight of Lana's body meant nothing for Kace, but the burden and remorse that the lycan felt almost crushed him into pieces.

How many more people have to get hurt because of what he did? This feeling was horrible beyond words and Kace felt disgusted towards himself.

"Hope, come here," Kace said in a low voice when Hope didn't move from where she was standing.

Actually, Hope wanted to stay and had another conversation with Chiron, but seeing how the situation turned out now, she couldn't do that. Hence she followed Kace and the siblings, back to the house.

However, when they just took three steps away, Chiron spoke again. "Tomorrow will be the funeral of the hunters that were killed that night," he halted and watched how Kace's body turned stiff. "The village will burn the body after the sunset. If you like it, you can come with Mr. and Mrs. Lori."

No one could decipher the meaning behind Chiron's words, whether he wanted to mock Kace or disparage him. Whatever it was, that couldn't be seen in his expression and the tone that he used.

Would the people, the family of the victims from the brutalism of the beast, would like it?To see the killer of their family member?

Why would Chiron give this kind of invitation?

"If there is nothing else, I will excuse myself and my people." He spoke solemnly as he turned around and walked towards the other centaurs.

The six of them disappeared behind the trees, yet Kace didn't move ever since. His blue eyes clouded with something that Hope couldn't understand.

"Kace," Hope tugged his tattered shirt. "Are you alright?"

Kace didn't answer her, but he said in a deep voice. "Let's go."