My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

344  Zagan Returns Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Zagan returned to the room in the castle where he had departed from and was about to go straight to his office to read this mysterious unnamed book that Nelo had given him when he remembered Penelope was passed out in his office when he left. Would she still be there? He grimaced at the thought.

Now how was he supposed to act around her? What if her blood called to him the way it seemed to in the greenhouse and he couldn't help but compel her again so he could drink from her freely without her objections? Just the thought of that—of the taste of her blood—had his pupils constricting with predatory hunger. What was happening to him? He never had a problem controlling his hunger anymore. This was highly unusual.

If he couldn't keep this apparent compulsion under control, not only would he return to that corpse-like state that required an ample amount of blood to regenerate him—and he couldn't keep returning to Gray Vale to drink from the blood river that was mercifully purified of the emotions of its bearers—but what was worse was that he would have to feel the pain of a heart thundering away at his chest. He didn't want to go through that again unless it ensured that his swift death would follow.

While Zagan didn't believe this mate theory Nelo had told him, he didn't want to be around Penelope until he could read more about it and be sure. If she were by some impossible stroke of fate his mate, maybe there was something in the book that could tell him how to end it. Could he just kill her and be done with it? Would that have a negative effect on him if he did? Would she turn into one of his kind? There were too many questions for him to just be able to walk about his own home freely. What if he bumped into her again?

He approached the doorway and used his sensitive hearing to determine if there was anyone close by. He was on the bottom level of the castle, and with all of the thick, heavy stone walls, he could really only hear within a small radius. This included the kitchen where it sounded like Brandt was banging dishes around.

"Did you feed them?" Zagan asked abruptly after arriving in the kitchen. There were ingredients all over the kitchen island, and Brandt was lighting several flames on the stove.

"Oh, hi boss," Brandt greeted, not surprised by the way Zagan seemed to appear out of thin air. "Yes, I did feed them as you asked. I am working on dinner now."

"Was the Winter still in my office? Or was she in her own room?" he asked, thinking now of how he should have instructed Brandt to take her to her room if she was still unconscious. Why hadn't he thought of that at the time? He didn't want to have to move her himself.

"They were in a room together. The room next to yours," the male answered, remaining focused on the food he was preparing in front of him.

"Together?" Zagan hissed.

Penelope had gone into the room with the Luna? When he released her from the compelled state, that was the first thing she had requested—a shared room with the Luna. He thought it was odd, but usually people said odd things when they regained the autonomy of their conscious thoughts. It was like being roused from anesthesia.

"Hmm. They are together. That is fine I suppose," he thought aloud.

In fact, that was perfect. Now he would not have to worry about accidentally running into Penelope if she were out roaming in the castle halls. He knew exactly where she would be. Maybe he could eventually have her moved to containment where he wouldn't have to risk being close to her at all. He would just get someone else to look after the Luna and pretend to be her doctor for the time being. There were plenty of alyko who could fill that roll.

"Is the greenhouse restored?" he asked.

"I believe Emmett is still working on it," Brandt answered.

"I will be there for a time. Keep me updated on the two upstairs," Zagan told him.

"Will do, boss."

"When you took the food to them, did the Winter alyko drink her juice and eat?" he asked, the question nagging at him as he was about to leave.

"I did not see her, boss," Brandt frowned. Was he really supposed to wait there and make sure she ate and drank?

"I thought you said you saw her in there with the Luna," Zagan growled.

"I scented her, and the other one said she was in there," he replied.

"When you take their meals up, make sure you see her eat," he growled again, annoyance evident in his tone.

Brandt opened his mouth to stutter a question—why in the world would he need to watch her eat—but before the words could even formulate, the vampire was gone.

Zagan pulled the book out of his jacket as he entered through the heavy double doors of the greenhouse. His lips curled into the beginning of a smile when he thought of how initially Penelope was unable to open them on her own and she had to grudgingly allow him to assist her.

"She is stubborn," he chuckled to himself, flipping open the book.

"Boss," Emmett nodded as Zagan walked in.

"The cobra lilies are back in place. Lovely," Zagan glanced around without returning the greeting. The cobra lilies were one of many carnivorous species Zagan kept in the greenhouse. They were beautiful and deadly, which is why he was so fond of them. "But I don't see my chair."

"I will get it, boss," the male answered.

"Don't worry about it."

There were a few beds that had yet to be removed, so Zagan approached one and flopped down onto it with the book in his hands. Emmett stared at him in surprise. The vampire's movements were always so poised and rigid. He didn't imagine he would ever see him lounging on a bed reading a book.

"Carry on," Zagan lifted his eyes to the male who appeared frozen before him.