I immediately descended the stairs to rejoin Brenda and the others; this was truly unexpected for me and the rest of them.
"Has Aurel rested?" Brenda asked as I approached.
"Yes, she's resting comfortably. I made sure of it. So, what happened?" I inquired, with Lauv moving closer.
"Something went wrong, which led the Ogres to come into the human dimension," Lauv explained, causing me to chuckle mockingly.
"What's wrong with those Hunters? Can't they handle protecting the Regnum?" I quipped, followed by laughter from Thunder and Simon.
"Did they manage to sort everything out?" I wasn't sure if the Hunters could easily recapture the escaped Ogres. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if I wasn't at the pool with Aurel; she would have been terrified seeing those rampaging monsters. I had sensed that something was amiss beforehand, which led me to search for Aura's whereabouts— that's all that crossed my mind.
"And unfortunately, all the Ogres have been dealt with. It seems they were smart enough not to linger before this news reached Alfa King," Thunder said, once again sounding like a taunt. They were always infuriatingly arrogant, yet never performed well in preventing the monsters from entering the human dimension. This would be a big story in WinTera, and I was actually looking forward to it. Wouldn't it be amusing to see my father annoyed by his trusted men?
"Where were you when the Ogres entered?" Brenda asked, now looking at me.
"As you saw, I was with Aurel. We bumped into each other at school," I replied nonchalantly.
"Why did you go to school?" This time, Simon directed the question at me.
"I was just bored and wanted to drive around. Didn't know where else to go," I answered in a foolish manner, once again capturing their attention. Of course, they wouldn't easily believe it, especially seeing me with Aurel. They all knew I wasn't easy about bringing others to this house.
"What's up with your lover?" I asked, this time cornering Brenda.
"One of the people around her house saw the presence of the Ogres, and of course, they were attacked. Luckily, Rex and the Hunters destroyed them all," Brenda explained, furrowing my brows.
"Ogres reached there too?" I asked, making Brenda nod. Something was off. Ogres appeared at school and around Rex's house. I was certain they didn't just randomly venture out of the Regnum's protection. There was something triggering them or happening in WinTera, I thought.
"Yes, there's some truth to it," Brenda said, seeming to read my thoughts again, causing me to sigh with irritation.
"Stop prying into my mind, Brenda," I said irritably, to which she just shrugged carelessly.
"I've been thinking the same thing. Those Ogres couldn't have just escaped from the Hunters like that, and the protectors couldn't have weakened on their own. There must be a trigger that allowed them to escape and occupy the human dimension at specific points," Brenda explained again, causing me to rub my face roughly. I then chose to walk over to the sofa and plop down.
"Well then, handle this issue. You know very well that I can't deal with anything related to WinTera. As Alpha King said, I'm currently in exile, and I have no business with it," I replied, letting out a sigh. Simon snorted in response.
"What's going to happen to WinTera if its future leader is someone like you?" Simon's words were meant to provoke me, causing me to glare at him sharply.
"I will fulfill my duty when I return to WinTera and regain my power. You all will bow before me," I stated confidently. That's what would happen in the future. It's just a matter of time before I acquire all my power and rise. Even though many in our clan look down on me, they sneer and say I'm not worthy to be the successor. What's even more infuriating is being compared to that scoundrel; he's considered more suitable to lead the clan.
"But isn't your girlfriend connected to it?" Simon said, once again spouting nonsense. I still remember Thunder's words the other day, saying that Simon sensed a faint aura from Aurel. I looked at Brenda and Lauv, who were still unaware of this news. I stood up abruptly and grabbed Simon.
"I want to tell you something. You know Megan caused chaos the other day, and now, with your girlfriend, we need to clean it up," I said, pulling Simon toward the door. Brenda immediately stopped him.
"Wait, you can't just take him out, especially with the new problem we're facing. At least be cautious. Before you regain your power, you won't even be able to face mid-tier monsters on your own," Brenda advised, causing me to glare at her with annoyance. Yes, I don't disagree, but her words were too sharp.
"That's why I have Thunder and Simon by my side. They'll be responsible for protecting their future king. You don't need to worry about me. Focus on your partner who's rejecting you. Don't let your mate bond get rejected just like that," I said, grabbing Simon again. I took him to the backyard and let go.
"What's the problem?" Simon asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"I know what you want to say. I heard it from Thunder, and I want you to shut your mouth. Don't let Brenda and Lauv find out about Aurel," I explained, making Simon raise an eyebrow.
"So, what I felt was true. Even though I wasn't sure a few days ago, I definitely sensed something faint from that transfer student. Is there something happening that I don't know about?" Simon asked, making me reluctantly have to tell him.
"I'm not sure if this is true, but it seems that Aurel has something to do with the resurgence of my power. I feel something when I'm with her, and it's getting stronger each day," I explained, making Simon widen his eyes in disbelief.
"That's what I meant. So, all this time, I didn't realize it. Your aura is growing stronger. I thought it was just because of your mood, but apparently, it's connected to the new girl," Simon said, making me irritated.
"She has a name. Call her Aurel." And I don't know why, but when Simon pronounced her name incorrectly, it bothered me.
"Are you even starting to care about her? Could she possibly be your future mate?" Simon's words somehow made me think again.
"But she's human. She's truly human, unlike her cousin," I said, causing Simon to ponder what I meant.
"I'm sure she's a pure human, but on the other hand, for some reason, she has a faint aura. I used to think my powers were weakening, but I'm also sure that I've never misjudged someone before. You know that, don't you?" I said.
"Yes, I know. So, stop blabbering. What you need to do is really keep your mouth shut. Don't let Lauv or Brenda find out. I'll make sure myself whether Aurel is truly your mate or not and why a human would be bound to our kind," I explained, making Simon try to seal his lips, ensuring that this news wouldn't reach anyone else and would stay within our circle.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Simon asked again.
"I'm also wondering what else needs to be done, and one way is to get closer to Aurel. It's the only way to ensure everything. The problem is, my first encounter with Aurel wasn't pleasant. I hope her resentment isn't too strong so that I can easily be around her," I explained. My plan was to approach her. One way was to ensure her safety, especially after some unexpected events that made me hesitant to let her out of my sight.
"Wow, this is the first time I've seen an Alpha genuinely trying to get close to a human," Simon said, tauntingly.
"Oh yeah, and one more thing. Isn't it Aurel's scent that's attracting those Ogres?" Simon asked, once again leaving me perplexed.
"Scent?" I questioned.
"Yes, her presence is drawing those creatures," he continued.
"That's not possible, Simon."
"Like I said, it might not be possible. We know she's human, but nothing is impossible. The Ogres only appeared around places where Aurel was, like her school and her house," Simon explained, and it did make sense.
"We can't jump to conclusions. Starting today, I want you to keep an eye on Aurel. I can't always be around her, especially because I still want to enjoy my exile. Plus, Rex wouldn't like it if I approached his cousin too openly. I just want to play it safe and not risk being rejected by Aurel," I stated. That was my plan. The best way was to have Simon close to Aurel. At least, Simon could be trusted, and he had the ability to sense danger and assess Aurel's condition. I needed to start planning things to make everything clearer. I didn't want to waste time on futile matters.
Besides learning about my connection with Aurel, I also had to ensure her safety. Some unforeseen events had occurred, making me more reluctant to let my vigilance over Aurel waver.