"What was that?" Meredith narrowed her eyes at the woman when she looked their way again.
The question visibly confused her and made her very nervous.
"We have never seen something like this before, so we are confused," Amon gently spoke, letting her know that Meredith's curiosity was genuine.
"Oh... that was the core of the Evolved Monsters. Aeons who have the same powers as the Monster, or complementary powers, can benefit from them. The success rate is not 100 percent, but if it does work and the Aether enters the body and does not dissipate in the air, the Aeon's powers grow stronger. They can also be brought back to life from the verge of death."
The two of them furrowed their brows at her words.
"How do you know this?" the Princess asked, looking straight into her eyes.
"We found this out after killing some Evolved Monsters. Our group..." she stopped and corrected herself, "...the group found this out and banded together the people who were able to shed their Monstrosity and become Aeons..."
"The people who became Monsters became normal again?" Amon softly asked.
"Yes, but very few of them. Like one in every thirty Monsters was able to shed their Monstrosity and become Aeons. They received different sets of abilities, and fifty percent of them also have access to their Monster Forms..." she added nervously.
"Do you have access to your Monster Form?" he smiled and asked. She fearfully nodded. "And your child?"
Her arms subconsciously tightened around the boy, and she nodded again.
"What are you?" Meredith asked with curiosity, and seeing that the two did not show fear or disgust, the woman slowly relaxed.
"We are Werewolves..."
"And your abilities?"
"My Ash has the same powers as the Monster you slew..." she whispered, her eyes momentarily going blank.
Both Meredith and Amon were slightly amused. Given what his powers were, the boy's name seemed fitting.
"And you?"
"I can create sonic blasts and have echolocation, in addition to all my Werewolf senses." She looked hopefully at Amon, almost as if trying to convince him of her usefulness. "I can help you track Monsters..."
"You were not able to sense us earlier." Amon raised his brows and watched her nod.
"We fought our way out of the group... I am tired."
"What happened to the group?" Meredith asked, keeping her guard up though she did not show it anymore.
"The leader made a deal with a pack of Wolfmen. They would help find Monsters with abilities suited to them, and in return, he would give Aeons to them as sacrifices. We only learned about this deal when my child's turn came..." A fresh wave of tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them when little Ash worriedly called out to her.
"You have no other family?" Amon inquired and watched her shake her head. "Can Monsters grow stronger by devouring any kind of Aeon?"
"Yes. They can also grow by devouring Beasts, but they still prefer Aeons. Strange Beasts started appearing a few weeks ago, and some of them are very powerful. They can even kill Monsters and Aeons. We tried hunting them but did not find any Cores in their bodies. The leader believed that the truly powerful ones likely had Cores, but those Beasts are too strong."
"Can Aeons kill other Aeons and gain their powers or their Cores?" Amon asked gently, compelling her to speak the truth.
"Yes... when an Aeon is killed, their Aether escapes the body, but the success rate of absorbing it is very low. Only one member of the group was rumoured to have succeeded."
"Are you planning to betray us?" he asked gently. She shook her head quickly. "Do you remember everything you did when you were a Monster?"
"I have vague recollections of my actions..."
Her eyes widened in fear as the compulsion wore off, and her body trembled as she stared at the pair in horror.
"What did you do..."
"What is your name?" Meredith cut in before she could spiral further, and the woman lowered her head.
"Nina."
"You can come with us on the promise that you will honour your words. You pledged your life to our service. Remember?"
"Yes..."
"You don't have to come with us. If you wish to leave, just get out of our territory," Amon told her, and watched her tremble.
"No, I will keep my word."
"I am not a fool, Nina. I know why you want to stay. You seek protection from your old group, who will likely come looking for you once they realise the Monster chasing you didn't return to its pack."
His words visibly tensed Meredith, and Nina's body began shaking again.
"I..."
"I did not say that you cannot come with us. You can. But know this: if you ever betray us, you and your child will both have to bear the consequences."
"Yes... I understand." She nodded, holding back tears.
"Alright. Get up. We need to leave. Another powerful Monster is headed this way." Amon glanced left and rushed over, pulling Ash from her arms. "Let's go."
"Should we not kill it?" Meredith frowned, but Amon shook his head.
"Let the dogs guard the territory for us."
"Oh..." Her eyes lit up in realisation, and she followed him as they darted back toward the Manor.
Nina panicked when she saw them carrying her child, and despite her fatigue, she chased after them.
Amon slowed deliberately to allow her to keep up and sensed her shock when they exited the forest and the Manor came into view.
"The Winter Manor..."
"It's our home," Meredith informed her, delivering another shock.
What she saw next left her speechless.
Amon conjured a tall staircase with Psionic Energy, leading up to the tallest tower. He climbed it swiftly, landing gracefully on the balcony.
He stared into the woods, his crimson eyes locking onto the figure of a massive Houndman, nearly three metres tall and far stronger than the Wolfman they had slain.
It was not alone. A pack moved behind it, hiding in the shadows of the trees.
Amon narrowed his eyes when he spotted a Houndwoman carrying a child, and another visibly pregnant female.
"They can breed now..." he frowned. His words caught Meredith by surprise.
She followed his gaze and froze when she saw the pack.
Nina, though not as visually sharp, could smell them. Her senses confirmed what they saw. Powerful Monsters, watching, waiting.
"Yes, Monsters can now breed. It started after people began shedding their Monstrosities. The Wolfmen pack already has several babies. They give birth in exactly one hundred days, but so far, none have gotten pregnant again. One of the science teachers in the group speculated that their breeding might follow heat cycles. He hoped it was annual, though it could be biannual..."
The two siblings listened, and Meredith frowned.
"He shared that with everyone?"
"No... only the leader. I eavesdropped..." she admitted, nervously glancing at them, worried they would mistrust her for her abilities.
"What was your profession before the world ended?" Amon asked gently, and Nina lowered her head.
"I was a Patrol Officer in the Aventis City Police Force..."
"Aventis City?" Meredith asked in surprise.
Aventis was almost two thousand miles away, on the southern border of the Dukedom of Winterheim. It meant Nina had come an incredibly long way.
"Yes..."
And from the look on her face, she didn't seem to remember how.
"A Patrol Officer. Good. You will assist Sir Felix and Remus in guarding the Manor. Make sure we are alerted to any Monsters nearby. The surveillance system is still active. Sir Felix will show you the Surveillance Room later."
"You have electricity?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes. The Manor is powered by an underground Fusion Reactor. It will need refuelling in fifty years, but for now, electricity and water aren't a concern."
Her mouth dropped in awe, and Amon smiled.
"You are from the Duke's family?"
"He is the new Duke of Winterheim. Amon Elvius Octavius Rayne," Meredith stated.
"Your Grace!" Nina quickly bowed, her heart pounding in reverence.
She had heard of him, of course. He was the one who led the charge against a terrorist outfit last year.
Even if noble titles meant little in this new world, she bowed from respect and awe of the power these siblings had shown.
"Come with me," Amon said, leading her inside the Manor. He showed her to a room that once belonged to his mother's Handmaiden.
The woman had been of similar stature, so the clothes would fit. Nina's face lit up when she saw the wardrobe.
"Go take a bath. I'll bring clothes for Ash," Meredith said and stepped out, Amon following.
He silently trailed her through the hallways to another section of the Manor where a Knight's family once lived.
They found clothes belonging to two boys, one Ash's age and another slightly older. Meredith filled three duffel bags and handed them to Amon.
He smiled when she made him carry them, and they walked back side by side until they reached Nina's room.
He placed the bags on the bench, and Meredith grabbed his wrist and pulled him out, closing the door behind her.
"Hold me," she whispered, her voice trembling like a fragile thread as her eyes began to glisten.
Amon stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. Her body melted into his, seeking comfort, safety, something only he could give. Just as his arms tightened around her, her feet lifted off the floor. She clung to him, trembling, her face buried in the curve of his neck.
A second later, a sharp pain lanced through him as her fangs sank into his skin. He inhaled sharply, muscles stiffening from the shock, but then the pain dulled, replaced by warmth. A strange, almost euphoric ache spiralled through his chest. He shut his eyes and let her feed.
The sound of her breathing slowed. The tension in her body eased. Her fingers, clenched into his back, finally softened. He lowered his head slightly, lips brushing her hair as he breathed her in. Her scent was familiar, but it struck him differently now, heady, grounding, and heartbreakingly tender.
When her lips finally left his neck, she raised her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were glassy and flushed with emotion, her lips tinged with red.
She didn't speak, and neither did he.
Amon leaned in and kissed her.
Their lips met in silence, but the moment was thunderous. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't rushed. It was desperate, as if time was slipping away and only this connection could anchor them.
He backed her against the wall, his hands braced on either side of her head, and she clutched the front of his shirt like she was drowning. Her fingers trembled, not from fear, but from the intensity that pulsed between them.
His fang nicked her lip, drawing her blood.
She didn't flinch. Instead, she nicked him back.
A soft gasp left her mouth as their blood mingled, and the taste deepened the bond they already shared. Something primal stirred in her core, and her knees weakened. She let it happen. She let herself fall into him.
Her body spasmed, a quiet moan escaping into his mouth, and he caught her without hesitation, holding her steady. He kissed her slower now, reverently, savouring the shape of her lips, the warmth of her skin, the way she trembled in his arms.
When he finally pulled away, her forehead rested against his, eyes shut, lips parted, breath shaky.
They stood like that for several seconds, barely breathing, hearts pounding in unison.
"Feeling better now?" he asked softly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
She nodded slowly, her cheeks flushed. She buried her face in his neck again, her voice muffled.
"At least our blood is still warm," she whispered, and let out a giggle when she heard him chuckle.
Meredith remained in his embrace, but her chest grew tight with the weight pressing down on her conscience. The fire between them had dimmed into something quieter, tender, still, but no less dangerous.
A knot formed in her stomach.
She pulled back slightly, eyes flicking to his as doubt bloomed behind them.
"Amon..." she whispered, voice cracking. "What are we doing?"
He looked at her, his expression unreadable but steady.
"It's too late to have second thoughts now," he replied quietly. "You are my mate, and you can never resist me. Neither can I resist you. It will ruin both of us." His arms relaxed, not pulling away, but giving her room. His tone remained even, grounded. "We didn't do anything wrong."
She didn't answer that. Her eyes lifted to meet his, her voice barely a whisper. "Freya."
"I know."
"You were betrothed to her since you were nine," she continued, her words calm but laced with tension. "She's been waiting for you since before she even understood what love was."
"And she will have me," he replied, no hesitation in his voice. "That hasn't changed."
Meredith flinched, just slightly, though she quickly mastered herself. "So you'll take her too?"
"Yes."
There was no softness in his tone. No apology. But it wasn't cold either. Just a matter-of-fact, like it had always been inevitable.
"She loves you," Meredith said, her voice quieter now.
"And I care about her deeply," he said. "I always have."
"She will be upset..."
"You don't need to explain yourself to her. That responsibility is mine," he said.
Silence fell between them again. Not uncomfortable, just weighed with the truth of what had changed.
It was not something they had a choice over either. He had only wanted to save her, not make her his mate. Now, this bond could not be severed, and neither of them wanted to sever it.
"I will talk to her. She's my daughter... It's my responsibility..."
"Okay."
He pulled her back into his arms and planted a kiss on her head.
"Do you regret it?" he asked softly, and Meredith did not hesitate to answer him.
"I don't regret it."
"That's enough then."