Caitlyn's POV
As the situation grew increasingly chaotic, a growing number of people surged towards the exit. Amidst the darkness, the cacophony of screams and violence seemed never-ending.
Concern for Talon's safety intensified within me.
"No, I need to find Talon," I declared, clenching my teeth as I attempted to break free from Zed's firm grip. However, my efforts proved futile against Zed's strength.
"Returning now will only contribute to the chaos. Transforming in this place is akin to implicating Talon in the recent assassination," Zed remarked, smoothly dispatching a werewolf soldier with a twist of his head. "Considering Talon's character, do you believe he would undertake something uncertain? Even your decision has been foreseen by him, so it's best to comply with me."
Observing the increasing crowd, Zed couldn't help but express his frustration.
"Surround all the exits! The murderer must still be inside the exhibition hall; no one can leave without my permission!" Fandom's authoritative voice resonated again, providing a mix of surprise and relief. It confirmed that, for the time being, Talon was safe.
However, a lingering feeling persisted that Talon was keeping something from me, although I couldn't pinpoint what.
"Let's break free together; being trapped here has only one end, death!" I urged.
Suddenly, a roaring sound erupted from the crowd, prompting the people to surge toward the door in an organized manner. Though unsure of the cause, the leading voices seemed oddly familiar.
"This way," Zed directed, furrowing his brow at the unfolding situation before pulling me in the opposite direction.
"How do you...?" I couldn't help but snap as I watched Zed, who had previously refused to let me go back, suddenly change his mind.
"Don't talk!" Zed rudely interrupted me before releasing my hand, taking a few steps back, and launching into a violent sprint. All I felt was a gust of wind in front of me, followed by the sensation of my entire body flying into the air.
"Ah!" I subconsciously cried out but quickly realized that it was Zed who had wrapped his arms around my waist. Our final destination was none other than the window, vaguely lit by the sky.
Zed held me in his arms and landed firmly on the edge of the window. His move caught everyone's attention!
"Damn! Take them down!" Fandom's exasperated voice came from below us. Simultaneously, it marked a new direction for the rest of the people. Soon, the werewolves present transformed into giant wolves and leaped towards the window.
Before they could reach us, Zed had already led me out of the window to the back door of the convention. This was exactly where Braum had told me earlier that Talon had agreed to meet.
Zed and I hid in the shadows, keeping a close eye on the movement at the back door. However, despite a few sparse werewolves escaping by chance, there was never any sign of Talon after a long time. That put my otherwise lowered heart back in the air.
"Thanks for saving me again, but I'm going to..."
"Going to save Talon?" Zed seemed to have anticipated my intentions, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a weird smile.
"Why do you think that the current you is qualified to help Talon with the peril he's facing?"
"I can shift into a wolf, and while I'm not as powerful as you are, I can always assist him against some danger, especially something like this. I'll never allow myself to leave him behind!" I held my head up and looked Zed straight in the eye.
Zed looked like he'd heard the world's funniest joke as a wide grin bloomed on his face.
"What are you laughing at?" I glanced at him in confusion.
"You're over-confident! So let me ask you this: can you control your transformation into a wolf right now? Do you know your powers thoroughly? Are you aware of how to control them?"
Zed suddenly tightened his smile and asked me with a serious expression. I was a little confused by his barrage of questions, but in order not to lose the battle in front of him, I raised my head and choked back defiantly.
"Seems like you know it!"
"Yes, I do know." Zed's careless comment sent me into instant shock.
"Then come on, tell me how I can get stronger!" I subconsciously grabbed his palm and looked at him with an eager face.
"You should be familiar with my pack by now, or rather, it's your pack too," Zed said, shaking his head with a light chuckle. It was clear that he had investigated my identity information through my network of connections.
"By the way, this defiant look of yours right now is really like those guys in the pack; my mother would definitely be happy if she saw you."
"Get to the point!" I frowned, urging Zed to continue.
"Speaking of which, your talent is enviable even to me, but it's a unique advantage to our Fullmoon pack," Zed said, slowly raising his head to look at the moon hanging in the sky. "And I actually came out this time for you."
"For me?" Even though I had heard my father say something about Zed before, it still surprised me a bit when he said it himself.
"You do realize that I'm the new Alpha of the FULL Moon pack," Zed said, turning his head to look at me.
"Uh-huh." I nodded and continued to wait for Zed's words.
"The people of our pack are powerful, but the population is relatively small. Any clan member who has awakened the power of their bloodline would be a great asset to us. And you, Caitlyn, your mother is none other than the daughter of the last Alpha."
A wave of pride spread across Zed's face, as if recalling the great years the Full Moon pack had endured under the leadership of the last Alpha.
"And your mother's sister is my mother; in short, I'm your cousin." A wry smile flashed across Zed's face as he said this. The deliberate intimacy he had shown me earlier was more of a prank than a crisis created for Talon.