All Chapters of Vermillion Haze (Red Riding Hood Series): Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

ZEN RIFTAN"Let go me! Dammit!" The rogue shrieked in agony as the sentries pulled him for a discussion. He was tossed on the concrete floor with all of my men watching, jeering at him. Blood leaked from his clothes, his wounds torn open. His breathing became uneven when Hector and I stepped in for a view."Seems that you had fun with him, huh." I turn to Hector. He tittered and smirked at me, "Just a little, but I was worried that he wouldn't reach here alive. You didn't know how relieved I was when I opened the bag to see him gasping for air."I had invited Dreyar here to investigate the situation of these pathetic, stray rogues. I thought that the situation was well-handled by the other alphas after the conference, but it turned out that these rogues were not as 'easy' to handle. They have completely gotten out of hand.And they’re highly intelligent, something I didn’t expect from them."Pull out the sack from his head," I ordered my servants, to which they obeyed. Upon pulling

"I am." I stood up and stretched my limbs. "He would not let me go, I am sure of it.""I talked to Zen this morning. I made an arrangement with him, but he is yet to respond. I figured that I would like to tell you ahead.”"I don't really need it." I smiled at him. "The West isn't very welcoming to me either. I'd rather stay here."Dreyar stood up and shook his head. "I’ll welcome you there with all my heart. Just let me know if you'll agree to it or no. I'll be staying in Zen's spare rooms for a week.""You'll be staying here for a week?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?""Has Zen not told you?""About what?""Oh my, he does hide things from you a lot, doesn't he?"My brows furrowed, curious. "What is it?""It is not safe for me to go since the King's sentries have been spotted all around the woods for the past several days."The king's sentries?Does he mean of Hezel's personal guards? Not the assassins?"Sentries?""Yes, along with the King as well. It is rumored that the King is

Riftan’s foster mother—the Gamma—was the oldest and wisest of their pack. Stories whispered like sacred verses by the Weres of Phantomcrescent. They said she had seen everything, from the moment this pack was born to the countless joys and sorrows that followed.I watched her sitting there, cradled by the soft golden blooms she watered each day. Sheltered in a small cave, the warm light streaming from a crack above cast a gentle glow upon the altar of her late husband. I couldn’t help but pause for a moment. Everything about her presence felt… sacred.She reminded me of my grandmother, but at the same time, she had an energy that demanded reverence. Riftan had made sure she was safe, hidden from the cruelties of the outside world, just as she had once protected him.We sat around her like curious students before a revered teacher. Vale, Linda, and I hung onto her every word as she began to tell us about Zen. "Zen was everyone’s beacon of hope,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “He

Now that Riftan and I have settled our feuds, I can finally breathe without worrying about him. I can roam the halls in peace—Oh, wait.Dreyar is still here.Ugh.I jumped onto my bed in frustration and ran to the window to look outside. I wanted to leave my room, but I was intentionally locking myself in so I wouldn’t bump into him.He was drunk at yesterday’s celebration, and the last thing I want is to deal with a hungover Dreyar. I’d rather stay in and do anything else.Still… yesterday was fun. It was the first time I called Riftan by his first name: Zen. It wasn’t even planned. I was walking back to my room when I remembered what Madame Ellwy said—that he might not even remember his birthday. That was just… sad.So I came up with a plan. A little celebration.Originally, I wanted it under the plum tree. But there wasn’t enough time to decorate. Everyone said we should just do it at the lake instead. I had no choice.Still… the plum tree would’ve been perfect.“Hurry up!” a voic

"Ugh," I whined while taking a walk outside the walls with my hand cuffed behind me.I was finally allowed to roam their area, which was great, but since my wrists were restrained, it wasn't very fun. My hair blew against my face, sticking to my mouth, and yet I could not even tuck them behind my ear.Well, whatever anyway. At least I can inspect and move on to the second phase of my plan, which is to try to memorize the entire layout and find a decent place to use as an escape route.My books sank against the snow, and the freezing air was unbearable. Thankfully, my cloak is thick and can help me keep warm in this frigid weather.I looked around the place and realized that the walls were much bigger than I thought they would be. I assume that every fifty meters, a guard is standing atop the wall to prevent the climbers and also to see both sides of the map.Seems like it won't be as easy as I thought it would be.Now that Linda is busy with the kitchen and Vale is preparing for Dreya