Inheritance of Shadows [Hugo Vlad x Fem!OC]

Chapter 14: A Weak Endeavour

The weight of Lycaon's words still clung to the air, thick and resolute.

Yukari lowered her rapier, though her grip didn't loosen entirely. The narrow beam of her flashlight trembled just slightly as it caught the dust swirling between them. Yurina stayed behind her, ears flattened, eyes flicking between the two like she wasn't sure which was more alarming—the chaos of the room, or the man standing in the doorway.

Lycaon stepped inside with measured precision, the faint whir of his mechanical legs breaking the silence. "They moved fast," he said, scanning the wreckage without looking at either of them. "It's unfortunate I'm unable to stop them in time."

Yukari's tail swished once, slow and controlled, masking the heat curling in her chest. "Then you saw them?"

His eyes finally met hers, calm but edged. "I followed them until I couldn't. The trail wasn't lost by accident."

That meant Hugo wasn't just taken—he'd been hidden.

Yukari's gaze sharpened, searching his face for even the smallest crack in that calm facade. The silence between them stretched taut, until she stepped forward, blade flashing upward. The rapier's tip stopped just under his chin.

He did not flinch.

"Why on earth did you fail your client then? Is this what the Victoria Housekeeping company is about?" Her voice was laced with venom, each word deliberate.

Lycaon's ears dipped slightly. "I'll admit, my planning failed in this matter." His gaze returned to hers, steady. "But we can still catch up."

Yukari's eyes narrowed, the edge of her rapier still hovering beneath his chin. "If you're the most trusted in your line of work," she said, voice calm but cutting, "I'd hate to see what failure looks like from the rest of your company."

"Yukari—" Yurina's hand came to her arm, a quiet plea in her tone.

But Yukari didn't flinch. Her gaze stayed locked on him, unblinking, until Lycaon finally met her eyes again—unmoved, voice steady.

"I understand your anger. But if you wish to find him, this is the moment to focus, not waste time placing blame."

Yukari glared at him for a long while, before she sheathed her rapier back into her sleeve.

She sighed. "Fine, but you better have a plan. You stopped me once to get to Hugo so you better make up for this." Yukari crossed her arms, clearly livid with her tail whiffing around. "So, any ideas where he went?"

Yurina kept staring at Lycaon. In her eyes, he wasn't just a hunk of a werewolf—he was like a prince cloaked in white, the type who'd do anything for her and treat her like royalty.

Yurina leaned in, eyes still glued to him. "Yukari... why the hell didn't you tell me you knew a literal prince in wolf form?"

Yukari deadpanned and looked at her. "You gotta be joking Yurina..."

"I swear you need to introduce me to him when this is over."

"Yuri-"

Lycaon's cough interrupted their whispering conversation.

"My members will let me know in—" he checked his golden pocket watch, "—right about now."

His phone rang. He pulled it out from his pocket, answering it with a swift tap before setting it on speaker.

A girl's voice came through, flat and unbothered.

"Hey. We found the location. But it's crawling with guards."