041 May The Best Man Win

"What are you talking about?" Curtis grinned at Erebus, not admitting anything.

"I'm talking about the werewolf prince who, at my best effort, hid his trace so well that I only found out he went to Paris, nothing more." Erebus said lazily, his blue eyes locked on Curtis, watching his reaction.

"That's further than anyone else could get already, don't beat yourself up." Curtis laughed which only irritate Erebus more.

Erebus: "..."

"It seems like we have a lot to talk about." Curtis stood up straight, too, and made a gesture hinting Erebus to follow him.

"No wonder my people didn't find anything suspicious about you." Erebus stood by the rail on the roof, looking over the city with Curtis, well, Prince Charlie by his side, "You have a whole royal army to hide your trace."

"You KNOW that's exaggerating." Curtis laughed, "I only trust my people."

"So a smaller army?" Erebus said sarcastically.

"Yeah, haha," Curtis turned to look at him, "only a small one. The question is, who do you trust?"

"Not you, at least. Why did you give that note to her?" Erebus didn't avoid his eyes and looked right back at him, "Why did you deliberately put her in danger?"

"You are right, I put her there." Curtis nodded, "Because I wanted to see how she would deal with a dangerous situation."

"What kind of a sick reason is that?!" Erebus rose his voice.

"Are you aware that you are talking to you Prince?" Curtis asked with a grin, not at all seemed like he was offended.

"Well I cannot lie to my Prince just because he is an evil MORON." Erebus frowned at Curtis.

"Hahaha, you've got guts. Just like how my father used to say about you." Curtis burst into laughter.

"Used to." Erebus repeated with an indifferent tone.

"You know how he has been. Totally changed after his new queen." Curtis sighed, glancing at Erebus.

"So you came to me because you have father issues?" Erebus teased. He was surprised the Prince just out with what everyone was thinking but rarely saying.

"I came," Curtis did not seem to be bothered at all by his tease, "Was because my queen came here, and I need to know how she would deal with a dangerous situation."

"What are you saying?" Erebus asked in a low, slow voice, but this time, even Curtis was a bit pressed down by the danger and domination in his tone.

"It's a prophecy. Kitty is my queen." Curtis said for the first time with genuine in his voice, "You know prophecies WILL be fulfilled, one way or another."

"Not possible. I marked her. Marking is never wrong." Erebus said.

"You KNOW that's not true, there are exceptions. My father marked my mother, too. And here he is, with a new queen as if she never existed." Curtis's tone bore pain and sullen.

"So are prophecies. Exceptions happen all the time. I'll help you deal with your father issue, but you are not getting anywhere near Kitty." Erebus just waved his hand at Curtis.

"Haha, how are you gonna do that?" Curtis burst into laughter.

"Your mom, she was exiled to The Island for treason, right? I can prove her innocence." Erebus said.

"Are you aware of what you are saying?" For the first time, there was anger in Curtis's eyes. Though still a young wolf, the royal blood in his veins gave him born rights to rule, and even Eerbus could feel the pressure.

"Isn't that what you want?" Erebus asked in a low growl. He WAS still an alpha. He wouldn't be able to respond if the young wolf become the King one day.

"Hmph." Curtis looked away and lifted the pressure he was trying to put on Erebus, "Kitty WILL be my wife, no doubt on that."

"You don't even love her. Are you doing this just because a prophecy told you to do? I thought royals are slave to no one." Erebus smirked at the frustration of the young wolf when failed to pressure Erebus.

"Unlike you, born to be our slaves." Curtis turned to look at Erebus with a defiant look.

"I chose to follow your father, it's different. He has my loyalty, not my dignity." Erebus was not irritated, "And werewolf's marking is a decision, not magic, it's a representation of our own will, Prince."

"You still have to follow MY orders. Do you really think you can give her a better life?" Curtis avoided Erebus's explanation because he didn't want to admit Erebus was right.

"I don't have to follow your orders YET." Erebus reminded him, "I cannot give her a royal life, that's true. But I doubt she will be happier with you, considering you don't even love her."

"You love her only because your wolf curse told you to, it's not any more noble than me listening to my prophecy." Curtis said.

"I don't want to argue how genuine our feelings are towards her. Now that there's a conflict, let's compete then. Whoever wins her, wins." Erebus waved his hand, "Let's see how far your evil tests on her can get you."

"Sure. I'll start with shining a light on all the dark stuff you are doing behind her back. Like the two poor prisoner you keep in your basement." Curtis didn't budge a bit.

"What I am doing is necessary evil, not that I own any explanation to you. I don't want her to know because I want to protect her from the darkness of the world, it's different than you protecting yourself from letting her know that you care more about yourself than her safety."

"Is it so wrong that I want to make sure she's worth of my title? And I HAPPEN to like her, now that I got to knew her. Thanks to you, by the way, BOSS. Ohh, or that's also something you don't want her to know about?

"Are you sure you want me to tell her I gave her this job? She WILL leave, and I'd like to see what other reason you have to be in her life, my Prince." Erebus rose an eyebrow at Curtis.

Curtis grinned and held his hand out to him: "May the best man win."

Erebus took his hand and shook it, but before he can withdraw his hand, Curtis suddenly held his hand tight and pulled him a bit closer to whisper by his ear: "You were wrong about one thing though. I put the note in her room only around 7pm yesterday, AFTER I took the note from her room in the morning."

"It needs brain to survive in the palace, and you need to know, WHO you can trust." Curtis grinned at Erebus with that annoying smile, took a step back and watched Erebus froze in shock.