Vayne's POV
"Alpha, I'm sorry; it was my fault."
As Talon and the others faded away, I looked over at Zed with some remorse.
"It's okay, Vayne. They were the ones who were too cunning, and they wouldn't really hurt me."
Zed twisted his head to speak with certainty before shaking it gently.
"It's getting late, and after everything that happened today, you should go home early too."
Zed patted me on the shoulder, and then left.
I stood alone for a moment in a bit of a daze.
I could tell that something had happened between Talon and Zed, and their argument was all about a woman named "Caitlyn."
When I got back to my room, I closed my eyes and lay down on my bed, wondering what was wrong with me.
Sometimes a blurry figure would appear in my mind. He was slowly approaching me, and I would always see him, but when I tried to get a good look at him, I would get a terrible headache.
When I woke up from that strange dream again, I realized that my back was drenched in sweat.
My throat was so dry it was almost on fire, and I had just stepped out of bed to get a glass of water when suddenly there was a rustling from the balcony.
"Who is it?!"
I was immediately alert, squinting at the half-open window on the balcony.
I waited in place like that for a while, and there was no more movement other than some sharp wind noises.
"Strange."
I couldn't help muttering. Perhaps the excessive fatigue of the past few days had made me inevitably a bit nervous. Then I walked over to the table and was just about to pick up a glass of water when I suddenly felt a dull sound of footsteps ringing out behind me.
I was just about to turn my head when a wide palm covered my mouth.
"Don't scream."
The move made the hairs on my body stand up instantly as I tried to get a better look at the person in front of me.
When the dim light from the bed reflected on his face, my mouth dropped open in surprise.
"It's you?!"
I was instantly alert and let out an intimidating low growl towards the man in front of me.
After all, just this afternoon, he had caused a huge storm in our pack.
"Talon?"
I whispered his name with some confusion.
"It feels good to hear you call my name again." A smile swept across Talon's face, causing me to slowly let my guard down. After all, he didn't appear to be seeking a fight.
"What are you doing here?" I subconsciously took a few steps back, gradually moving toward the door. This way, even if a fight erupted later, I could secure my retreat first.
"Caitlyn, I just wanted to talk to you again."
"Stop!" I interrupted Talon's next statement with a hand gesture. I was growing tired of hearing that name from their mouths.
"Stop calling me Caitlyn; that's not my name. I've told you many times; my name is Vayne." I shrugged somewhat helplessly but carefully watched Talon's mood.
He had approached me mysteriously, suggesting he still retained considerable strength from the afternoon. I questioned if my current self could match him.
"Okay, Vayne, can we talk?" A flicker of helplessness crossed Talon's face before he stifled a sigh and sat somewhat dejectedly on the stool in front of me.
"Uh-huh." Reason told me that I should have instinctively refused when a stranger appeared, but when he raised his head to look at me, I inexplicably agreed.
"Haven't you also wondered why I've been looking for girls with the name Caitlyn?" Talon looked at me with tenderness, a doting smile lifting the corners of his mouth, causing me to hold back a blush.
"Because she's my Mate." Talon's face consistently beamed with happiness as he spoke the words.
"And what kind of person is she?" I couldn't help but be a little curious, moving a bit closer to Talon, who emitted a faint scent that made me want to get closer.
"She's a fool."
"What?!
Talon's words surprised me a bit, and I couldn't help but raise my voice.
"Obviously, she's just a human who could have led a carefree life, but she went through all sorts of difficulties to be with me, and even went so far as to..."
Talon rambled on about the experiences he and the girl named Caitlyn had shared. Whenever he reached the thrilling moments, even I couldn't help but sweat for Caitlyn from the sidelines.
Throughout the whole process, Talon always had a smile in his eyes, as if he were immediately immersed in a sea of happiness just by thinking about her.
"Caitlyn is truly a magical person. Anyone who has come into contact with her can't help but feel close to her, and there are many unforeseen surprises in her."
Talon finished twisting his head to look at me. His eyes were full of tenderness, and for a moment, I was a little overwhelmed. However, I could tell that he genuinely loved Caitlyn.
A strange thought even crossed my mind: What would I be like if I were that girl named Caitlyn? I was shocked by my own thoughts and immediately avoided Talon's gaze.
But Talon obviously didn't want the ambiguity to end. His hand climbed up the table and gently held mine. My body instantly tensed up, and I couldn't help but tremble.
Talon's eyes looked like a gentle sea hidden in them, and one could never help but sink into them when meeting his gaze.
"Caitlyn..."
Talon's eyes grew a little misty as he whispered the name that was frozen in his heart, as he always did. I pursed my lips as I felt my body gradually react; the temperature of my body was slowly rising at the moment. I subconsciously closed my legs and slowly hung my head.
"Vayne, are you asleep?"
Just at this moment, Zed's voice suddenly came from outside the door, instantly waking me up. Looking at Talon in front of me, I jerked my hand back in panic but accidentally bumped into a glass.
"Vayne? Are you okay?"
Zed's nervous voice sounded again, followed by Zed pushing on the door. I was instantly thrown into a state of panic and nervously answered. But the next instant, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock came from the doorway!