Usher accepted the antidote with mixed feelings. He held the antidote tightly, his fingers squeezing it as if to convey the immense hope he placed in it, yet unable to suppress the other worries that arose.
Rowena frowned, noticing the change in Usher’s expression. “What is it, Alpha? Is something wrong?”
“Rowena.” Usher swallowed the lump in his throat. He raised his face and looked at Rowena with a confused expression. “I hope the antidote you gave me can cure me, but what if Mireya takes further action and I can’t protect myself?” There was bitterness and fear, rebellion against the unexpected. “I may not have found any proof, but my intuition tells me that Mireya’s people are already in The Palace.” He shook his head in despair. “It could have happened a long time ago.”
Rowena fell silent. Usher’s concerns sounded reasonable. He feared that the recovery of his past self might force Mireya into unexpected actions. Besides, his past self was now under Mireya’s control. Therefore, being cautious and anticipating every possible outcome was a preventive measure that should be taken.
On the other hand, there was a good reason for Usher to be worried. He vividly remembered the details of the past events. Mireya had given him a stronger dose of the potion, making him vulnerable to its evil influence again. He relapsed, even worse than before. He became uncontrollable and completely lost his mind. He was exactly the person who had lost his mind and his reason.
Usher also realized that Garth was powerless to get him out of the palace. The guards stationed at the Palace had been replaced, he didn’t know when, and they were all blocking Garth. He was really trapped in his own palace. He couldn’t leave without causing a commotion, and what held him back was the memory of the commotion that had once killed Garth.
Usher clenched his jaw. His face hardened. No. I cannot lose Garth a second time.
Once again, Rowena was Usher’s only hope. “Tell me, what should I do if things get worse? What should I do if the situation becomes uncontrollable and my safety is threatened again?”
A part of Rowena’s heart pounded. She could feel the desperation Usher was experiencing. All his worries and fears shimmered so vividly in Usher’s eyes.
Rowena took a slow, deep breath. She met Usher’s gaze with seriousness and calm. “Do you know, Alpha, one thing that makes your kind happier than others?” she asked, not waiting for Usher to answer. “It is that you, werewolves, are blessed by nature with two souls. You have the human soul, which may not withstand strong pressure, and the wolf spirit, which is always stronger. So, you need to know that the antidote I made is actually to free your wolf spirit. When your wolf spirit is free, everything will get better by itself.” She smiled faintly. “So, in essence, every werewolf’s survival depends on their wolf spirit. In the end, only your wolf spirit can help you, Alpha.”
*
The Past Vione paced the room with an indescribable feeling of restlessness and confusion. Her mind was in turmoil, showing flashes of recent memories.
“Strange,” The Past Vione whispered as her feet came to a halt. Instead, she began to clasp her hands together, hoping to calm herself, but it wasn’t so easy to quell the confusion that was sweeping over her. “What is going on with Usher? How can his attitude change so drastically every time? Sometimes he’s so nice to me. Then he turns cold again.”
Confusion had plagued The Past Vione for the past few days. Usher’s strange behavior had left her completely puzzled. She tried to remember since when Usher had started to show this strange behavior.
The Past Vione furrowed her brow. “Was it the day of the fight between Mireya and me?” she asked herself. “It seems like it was-”
“What are you doing, Vione?”
The past Vione jumped. Reflexively, she turned around, and Usher’s presence startled her. “Usher.”
“What’s wrong?” Usher inquired, his gaze searching. “Why do you look so surprised to see me?”
The Past Vione swallowed hard, then shook her head quickly. “Nothing, Usher. There’s nothing wrong. I just…” She took a breath and managed to calm herself. “… didn’t expect you to come back to my room tonight.”
Usher’s eyes narrowed. He seemed to doubt The Past Vione’s words a little. “Is that so?” His hand rose and landed on The Past Vione’s cheek. Then his thumb moved in gentle strokes. “If there is something, you’d better tell me. I’ll listen.”
The Past Vione’s eyes rolled. Usher’s thumb strokes always had a soothing effect on her emotions. Peace flooded her chest and she smiled as her eyes closed. “There’s nothing, Usher. Everything is fine.”
Usher waited a moment. It was as if he wanted to make sure that everything was indeed all right. He was afraid that The Past Vione might notice the strange things that had happened lately. He understood that his behavior and The Past Usher were completely opposite at that time. So, if The Past Vione sensed something unusual, it would be natural.
However, The Past Vione didn’t express any suspicion, as Usher had feared. He felt relieved and didn’t waste the opportunity to talk to The Past Vione.
Usher invited The Past Vione to sit on the edge of the bed. He held The Past Vione’s fingers with emotion and said, “Today I had my health checked and an old friend gave me a tonic for my well-being.”
“A tonic?” The Past Vione blinked, her expression changing. “Are you unwell, Usher?”
Usher shook his head. “Not at all. I’ve just been too busy lately, and I’m a little worried about my health. So, I asked her to make me some sort of herbal drink.”
The Past Vione sighed briefly. “Oh.”
“So, would you mind helping me?”
The Past Vione asked, “Help you with what? Of course, I’d like to help you.”
“Great,” Usher said, smiling as he took the bottle of antidote from his pocket. Then he handed it to The Past Vione. “Mix it into my morning tea.”
The Past Vione accepted the antidote with a nod. “Sure, Usher.”
*