Chapter 560 - NOT IN THE PAST AND NOT NOW

"I remember you," Kace said it again, his blue eyes never left Chiron's as he put on a defensive stance. 

Hope, who was placed beside his back, couldn't understand how the situation ended up escalating that quickly, as she watched how things unfolded silently. She didn't dare to ask, yet she didn't need to, because from their conversation she would understand the connection between the two. 

Apparently both of them had met, years ago? Centuries ago? This must be the time where those stars came from.

"I am glad you remember me," Chiron answered with the same calm tone, despite Kace who had turned a little bit aggressive. 

"You should remember us," Carina said cynically. She still didn't want to look at Kace as she glared at the door.

"What do you want?" Kace breathed deeply, his grip tightened around Hope's wrist. "All of that happened in the past." He became more and more defensive with every word that he said. 

"Nothing can change the past." Chiron agreed readily. He took a step forward, but stopped when Kace snarled him a warning. 

Carina whipped her head and was about to move forward furiously with the disrespect that Kace threw to her leader. 

The situation would have turned ugly if Chiron didn't stop her in time and calmed her down. 

"You shouldn't bring me here and help him!" Carina shouted angrily, but her fierce eyes directed towards Kace. "I should have killed him instead of helping him!"

"Carina." Chiron placed his hand on her shoulder and talked sternly. "Wait for the other woman outside."

Carina ignored his words, but she, no longer, forced herself to barrage towards Kace. 

"Carina. Outside." Chiron spoke again, his eyes fixed on hers. 

After the second order, reluctantly, Carina complied, though the sound of her hooves against the ground sounded a little bit louder than necessary. 

After Carina left the barn, Chiron spoke to Kace again. "I will not apologize for how she behaved."

If Kace previously said how centaur had a high moral, this time Hope could see why. As a chief of the centaurs, Chiron held his ground and spoke just like how the leader should. 

There must be something in the past between Kace and Chiron, or bigger than that. Something between Lycanthropes and centaurs? Hope was starting to analyze the situation. 

"Of course you won't," Kace retorted coldly. 

"Just like you, who will not apologize for the thing that you had done centuries ago." Chiron didn't even blink when he said this. 

Hope glanced at Kace. Maybe it was because he just woke up from a long sleep, or maybe because he was still injured, but Hope could see how pale his face was right now. 

"What do you want?" Kace asked through gritted teeth, his grip tightened even more on Hope's wrist. He could snap her hand by accident at this rate. "I will fight you to death if you dare to lay a hand on her."

Hope shifted her attention towards Chiron, whose expression didn't even change even the slightest. What did Kace mean with that just now? The centaurs had treated them nothing, but with care. If it wasn't because of them, she could have been dead by now and Kace wouldn't have woken up now just to throw a threat and be ungrateful to him like this. 

"You don't change even after centuries have passed." Chiron looked at Hope, who was hidden behind Kace's back. "Even after you get a second chance, when your curse is lifted, and finally blessed with your mate."

"I don't need those words." Kace was furious, but at some point, his voice laced with… shame. "What do you want? Another war?!"

Hope was startled when Kace talked about war, but Chiron didn't even flinch when he heard the hostility in his voice. 

"You know our kind is not the type who would start a war. Not in the past and not even now." Chiron stood tall and his hooves tapped the ground lightly. 

Outside of the barn, they could hear Ian and Ethan were complaining when Carina instructed them to put Lana on the ground instead of bringing her inside. 

However, the twins were not good in argumentation, especially with a woman, who was taller and more authoritative than them. 

While grumbling here and there, Ian put down Lana's body after Ethan took off his jacket and put it on the ground. 

Carina repeated the same thing that she had done to Kace. 

Inside the barn.

"When your anger has subsided, maybe we can talk more calmly," Chiron gave Kace and Hope a small nod as a form or respect before he walked out of the barn to approach the female centaur and the other. 

"Kace, you shouldn't treat him like that," Hope complained when Chiron was out of their sight. "They did nothing but be nice and helpful to us. They even help you to regain your consciousness. Your hostility doesn't make sense."

"You don't understand, Hope. You don't understand." Kace tumbled and fell on his back while murmuring the same thing. 

"Why? What do I not understand?" Hope crouched down, facing him. Her hand was getting numb, but she let him hold her. 

Kace raised his head and looked towards the front yard, from their position, they couldn't see them, but they could still hear Ian and Ethan were murmuring something here and there. 

The lycan was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to get rid of a bad memory out of his head, fighting with himself again. 

"I want to see Lana's condition, would you wait here or…" Hope couldn't finish her words, when Kace pulled her into a tight hug. He held her as if his life depended on it. 

"Kace…?" 

"Please, don't come near him," He whispered, almost like a plea. 

And then, somehow, everything fell into place when Hope put it together. 

Centuries ago.

The death of Chiron's mate.

The supernatural creature kind that is almost extinct.

And the younger version of Kace that Hope had seen in her dream; crouching down while hugging himself and crying.