Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 116
Chapter 116
Damien
E55 vouchers
Remi let out an exaggerated sigh behind me, so loud and dramatic that it echoed through the open path we were walking on.
“You know,” he began, his voice already loud with complaint, “I truly don’t understand why we have to walk on foot when horses exist, or better yet, a carriage. You are literally the most powerful alpha in the world, and yet here we are, strolling through the pack like common villagers.”
He paused, then added bitterly, “Do you have any idea how much heat my skin is absorbing from the sun right now? I’m the pack physician. I cannot afford damaged skin. I have a reputation to maintain with both the ladies and the men.”
Around him, Jason, Kaius, and Yara all rolled their eyes almost in perfect synchronization, clearly used to Remi’s endless complaints. Their reactions were automatic, as if their bodies had learned long ago how to respond whenever Remi opened his mouth for more than three seconds.
I continued walking forward without acknowledging him, my steps steady and unhurried, my gaze fixed ahead. Sometimes, I truly wondered why I had ever decided to keep Remi so close to me. He was intelligent, yes, but he was also the complete opposite of me in every possible way. He was loud where I was quiet, dramatic where I was indifferent, and endlessly talkative where I preferred silence.
Beside him, Kaius finally spoke, his tone rough and unimpressed.
“You know,” he said, glancing sideways at Remi, “no one forced you to come with us. When you saw us leaving the castle, you just followed like a lost puppy because you didn’t want to be left behind.”
Remi stopped for a second, then nodded enthusiastically, as if that somehow proved his point.
“That’s true,” he admitted shamelessly. “But really, how could you even think of leaving me behind? I’m a very important asset to this group.” He straightened slightly and gestured at himself. “You’re all cold-blooded, ugly warriors. Without me, the kind, brilliant, devastatingly handsome doctor, you’d all be dead by now.”
Kaius scoffed loudly, clearly offended but too tired to argue.
Yara, on the other hand, smiled lazily, her eyes glinting with amusement as she leaned closer to Remi.
“Don’t be delusional, pretty boy. You’re good-looking, I’ll give you that. But you’re not the most attractive person here.” She tilted her head slightly and pointed at me with a smirk. “Look at our alpha. Broad shoulders. Lean but powerful build. Tall. And let’s not even start on that face.”
Remi followed her finger, his gaze landing on me for a brief moment before he looked back at her, one perfectly shaped eyebrow lifting. “Sometimes, I genuinely wonder if you’re really into women. The way you talk makes me question things.”
Yara shrugged easily, entirely unbothered. “Of course I’m into women. Why wouldn’t I be?” she replied. “Women are beautiful creatures. They are soft, deadly, and fascinating. They have everything you’d ever want to touch and squeeze. But just because I love women doesn’t mean I’m blind. I can appreciate a breathtaking man when I see one.”
Chapter 116
56 vouchers.
Remi stared at her for a moment, then nodded as if conceding the point. He lifted both hands to his face, pressing his palms against his cheeks dramatically.
“That still doesn’t change the fact that my beautiful skin is suffering,” he muttered. Then he turned his attention back to me, quickening his steps to walk at my side. “Seriously, Damien, why didn’t we take horses? At this rate, we’ll be late.”
I didn’t bother looking at him as we walked.
“It will be troublesome,” I said calmly.
Remi immediately raised an eyebrow, clearly unsatisfied.
“Troublesome?” he repeated.
Before I could say anything else, Jason spoke instead, his expression serious as he nodded in agreement.
“Yes, troublesome. If we don’t move in disguise, it will be far more problematic. If we show our real faces, or if this many people suddenly move through the pack on horses, everyone will immediately know it’s the Alpha. They will rush forward to speak to him, and that will slow us down.”
Jason paused briefly before adding casually, “And the alpha doesn’t like people.”
Remi frowned even more deeply, genuinely confused now.
“Huh?” he said. “Why would anyone dare go near him? Aren’t they afraid? Every time I see people standing close to him, they look like they’re standing next to the devil himself. Why would anyone willingly approach him?” He tilted his head, studying me from the side. “And even if they did, why tolerate it? You could tell them to leave, and they’d disappear immediately.”
Yara, Kaius, and Jason all glanced at one another, their expressions twitching as if they were holding something back. They looked dangerously close to laughing, but none of them dared, at least not openly.
Jason cleared his throat, breaking the tension.
“Well,” he began carefully, “you see… even though everyone is afraid of him, there is one particular group of people who are completely obsessed with the alpha whenever they see him.”
Remi blinked. “What group?”
Jason’s lips twitched before he finally smiled, clearly unable to stop himself anymore. “The elderly.”
“What?” Remi said flatly, convinced he’d heard wrong.
“The elderly,” Jason repeated, now openly amused. “They lose all restraint when they see him. They treat him like some kind of living god and rush toward him without fear. They grab his hands, touch his shoulders, talk endlessly, bless him, pray over him.” Jason shrugged. “And for some reason, the alpha can’t shake them off. He listens to them patiently.”
Remi stared at him for a full second, then slowly turned to look at me. And then, without warning, he burst out laughing.
88
Chapter 116
He bent forward, clutching his stomach as loud laughter tore out of him.
55 vouchers
“No way,” he said between breaths. “Are you fucking serious? You’re telling me the cold-blooded demon who kills without mercy can’t say no to old people? Oh my goddess, this is priceless.”
Jason shot him a warning look, clearly telling him to stop, but Remi either didn’t care or found the situation far too funny to control himself. Even Yara and Kaius looked away, shoulders subtly shaking as they tried not to laugh.
Remi finally straightened and casually placed a hand on my shoulder, still grinning. “We really should’ve taken a horse, Damien. I would’ve loved to see you being kind for once.”
I didn’t respond. I never did when they crossed that line. I was about to take another step forward when something shifted in the air, something so faint that anyone else would have missed it entirely.
I froze.
The scent drifted toward me, and I knew it instantly, down to my bones, down to the part of me that refused to forget her. Even if the scent was barely there, I would recognize it anywhere.
Selene.
AD
Comment
Send gift
No Ads
Join Our WhatsApp Channel For Fast Update Or More Novels: 
Join Our WhatsApp Channel For Fast Update Or More Novels: