The door creaked open gently and closed in the same manner. Lyne knew it was Zeidan who had walked in but she didn't raise her head. She just laid on the bed, tired. Especially after what she just heard her father say. She just needed to be alone.

"Hey," Zeidan called and she turned to face him slightly.

"Look, I know I've been a dimwit all this time and I was so stupid to have acted that way. But, you know, I was just..." He tried looking for the right words. 

"You're just thinking of it in a wrong way."

"I am?" Lyne rose from the bed, wrapping her arms around herself. "How?"

"Luana can't possibly be working for Shelbrooke."

"And how sure can we be?" Lyne asked, looking at him from across the room, two feet away from each other.

"A hundred percent." She raised a brow. "Lyne, Luana has been with Vampire city since she was born. She knows the history, she knows the rules and she knows what the result of betrayal is."

"What the heck are you saying, Zeidan? I should have suspected the moment you refused to arrest her!" Lyne shut him up, visibly irritated by his words. 

"What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Lyne, the mark on Shelbrooke's face, who gave him? Luana! Who fought hard against the Werecats on the day they attacked. While I was being carried away from the city, Luana was on the battleground, fighting against these people. How can you be so cruel to think that of her?"

Lyne looked into his eyes, not believing what she was seeing. How much changes have come over Zeidan? Had he been pretending all along? What's with the harshness and use of words against her?

"You're on her side?" Lyne asked voice choked in her throat and when he looked away, she couldn't control the tears that followed. She was broken.

"Zeidan?"

"I've known Luana before I knew you. If there's anyone to suspect, it should be you."

"Have you forgotten Hudson's case?!" She yelled, throwing caution into the wind and not caring anymore just like he is doing.

"The recruitment? Brady's parents?"

"I..." Zeidan gripped his hair and looked around as If frustrated. But who should be frustrated if not her? 

"Stop this! Luana has nothing to do with that boy's parents but even if she did, where's your proof? Even if she did kill Brady's parents, why hasn't Brady been in the palace crying for justice?"

"Because Luana will kill him for reporting her. This is not the first time she is doing it, Zeidan. You remember Wikh?"

"You should be the one I'd ask, Lyne." 

Lyne's heart skipped a beat.

"When Wikh was being tried and sentenced, you kept defending him and even went as far as being his defendant. Some days later, Wikh went missing. He ran away. Where did you plot his escape?" 

Lyne's arms fell and she was forced to look away. Clutching her chest, she could hardly breathe. Tears kept streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably as she looked for what to hold as support. 

"Zeidan? You're...you're actually..." She shook her head as if trying to know if she was dreaming. "You're accusing me of plotting Wikh's escape?"

Her voice was shaky.

"I'm not saying that but Lyne, I want you to know that that's how it feels to be lied against." He stated, unremorseful.

Not able to take it again, Lyne moved to leave the room but surprisingly, he pulled her arm and dragged her back. He looked into her eyes, gaze narrowing and hand tightening around her arm.

"I'm not finished. You can't walk out on me."

Lyne was speechless for a while but as she stared deep into his eyes, she knew. She realized that she couldn't be wrong. This wasn't her Zeidan.

"Wrong choice, Werecat." 

She could see the flint of surprise on his face before stepping on his foot and while he tended to it, she kicked the jaw that sent him spiraling into the room.

"Fuck!" The voice was changing and she scoffed.

"I knew I was right."

She moved towards him and punched him right in the face, making him fall, hand clutching his face.

"Argh!" He groaned but as she moved closer again, he kicked her right cheek with his left leg, making her see twinkles before falling with a thud on the ground.

He rose and she managed to do the same.

"You!" He pointed, voice thundering and she couldn't wait for him to fully transform into his real self.

He charged at her with a swinging clenched hand but she bent and dodged it, causing him to stagger and fall against the wall. He looked back, part of his face fading away and she could see on one part of his face that his real self had green eyes. Before she could take in what she was seeing, she felt a strong hand grip her neck and lifted her off the floor. Her legs were hanging in the air. He threw her against the wall, making her feel a banging pain in her back. She winced and gave out a painful cry.

Where the hell was Zeidan?

By the time he would come to her, his face had changed completely but before she could stare at him, two hands stretched from behind him and swung him across the room. It was Zeidan.

They fought for a while before the Werecat disappeared outside the room.

"Oh my god!" Zeidan exclaimed as he ran towards her but she flinched, staying out of his reach. "Lyne?" He called but she didn't want to be touched now. 

Didn't they say that people who make use of one's face usually make use of their minds as well? Definitely, Zeidan had been thinking ninety percent of what that Werecat had said. How could she unhear it? Impossible.

"What the hell did he do to you?" She heard him ask and she lifted her heavy and teary eyes at him.

"A lot."